The Chronicles of Astra
by Arudon
Summary: The Kingdom of Teiko, the once greatest Empire in the world, has fallen. Over two hundred city states have now been formed, all fighting to see who can regain control of the country of Astra. The Generation of Miracles have gone their separate ways, all with the goal of seeing who will be the one to win it all. KagaKuro, MidoTaka, AkaFuri, KasaKise, AoMomo. Medieval/Fantasy AU!
1. The Land of Astra

**Alright, here's the deal: you read all the way through til the end. Most of this first chapter is just exposition, but there's a little bit of dialogue near the end. I was shocked at the lack of any material of this nature in this anime, as stuff like this is almost crying out for a medieval/fantasy style AU.**

 **So anyway, here's my version of Kuroko's Basketball, retold as the tale of a war-torn Continent where the schools from the anime are represented as entire cities, and the basketball teams are the armies.**

 **Enjoy.**

 **I do not own Kuroko's Basketball, but I do own Astra.**

* * *

Long ago, in the land of Astra where the gods of old resided, there ruled five great kings that were gifted by the gods the power to rule and govern the people. For years, they ruled and served the land as just and righteous kings, sharing their power equally amongst each other and allowing the continent to prosper.

However, after a time, a great darkness was cast upon the land as an unnamed evil whispered into the ears of these Noble Kings. Rumors of corruption ran rampant, and the five kings grew angry and arrogant. Soon, war broke out, throwing the continent into chaos as armies ravaged across its surface.

The gods themselves were at a loss at what to do. They had entrusted the land to the five great kings in hopes that they could control the people, but instead they had succumbed to temptation and cruelty, becoming everything they were meant to fight against. Now their creations had turned on them, and their shrines were being destroyed as people stopped praying for protection.

In desperation, the gods turned to help from five ancient beasts of mythic proportions. They named these creatures as their champions, and granted each of them a human form with which to interact with the world of men. These champions were charged with the sacred mission to restore the land to order, and were sent out into the world with god-blessed weapons and powers.

With their incredible strength, their names quickly became known throughout the land. They were Yidra, the Gryphon, strong and powerful; Hefestro, the Dragon, burning fire and terrible wings; Hashan, the Basilisk, deadly venom and an even deadlier gaze; and Sahilia, the Unicorn, whose magic could charm even Death itself.

Leading them was the fiercest of the five, known throughout the world as the White Death: Akihiro, the White Wolf, whose swiftness was said to be matched by none.

Together, they fought with the strength of thousands of men, ripping apart all who opposed them. Very soon, the Unjust Kings themselves came under fire, and with Akihiro leading the charge, the five stormed the last citadel, where the armies of the remaining Kings had coalesced to defend their corrupt rulers.

The Five ripped through the seas of men like the bow of a ship through the ocean, bathing the streets in blood and baptizing the walls with fire. Yidra, with his prodigious strength, ripped apart the very stones themselves, while Hefestro burnt their arrows out of the skies with his terrible fire. Sahilia turned her magical horn on all who opposed her, while Hashan sank his venomous teeth into many, and turning his killing gaze on even more.

Yet it was Akihiro who finally stormed the castle Keep, tearing through wave after wave of the most elite soldiers in the Continent as if they were paper people. He found the Third King, Nebuya Hiroda, hiding amongst his concubines inside the Keep's brothel. Upon seeing the White Death approaching him, the large man moved to attack Akihiro, so the hero slew him with his own sword.

Moving on, he found the Second King, Hayama Iyashi, in the banquet hall. The fabled Lightning King drew his own sword and engaged Akihiro in a one-on-one duel, hoping to beat the legendary beast. His speed was known far and wide to be unrivaled by any man, and he truly lived up to it in those moments, his hand nothing but a blur of flashing steel. But Akihiro was faster, and soon the Lightning King was disarmed and cut, all within a minute of the beginning of the fight. Hayama dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, which Akihiro granted, providing he lay down his crown and sword in surrender, and submit himself to the gods to await his punishment.

Hayama agreed, but then as Akihiro turned away, the treacherous King sprang at him, revealing a dagger that he had concealed within his gauntlet. Taken by surprise, Akihiro was slow to defend himself, and so Hayama gouged out his right eye, sending the hero into a frenzy. In his rage, Akihiro ripped Hayama to shreds, tearing him limb from limb and staining the hall with his blood. However, due to his erratic movements, the remains of his eye were yanked from the socket, leaving nothing behind except for blood-stained bone.

Wounded, and in terrible pain, the great wolf moved deeper into the Keep, slaughtering all he happened across. Finally, he came upon the last and final of the Corrupted Kings: The First King, Hanamiya Takeshi. He sat upon his gem encrusted throne, holding a goblet filled to the brim with the blood of a dead harlot strewn across his lap. He truly was the pinnacle of the corruption that had brought the five kings to their knees.

The Spider King.

He called out to Akihiro, openly mocking him and his wounds. He offered him fine wine and food, which had been pillaged from the surrounding villages only days before. This served to further enrage the wild wolf, which was exactly what Hanamiya had intended. Lunging forward, Akihiro attempted to skewer the evil king where he sat, a snarl resounding from his mouth as he glared at the monster disguised as a man.

But Hanamiya was cunning, and in that moment he lived up to his title.

Akihiro suddenly found himself trapped by the Spider King's web, which had been spun all around the room from the life threads of his by now dead harlots and whores. Akihiro struggled to move as the evil man laughed at his predicament, rising from his throne to splash wine into his wounded face, causing him to cry out in agonized pain and frustration.

However, whilst the Spider King had his fun, Akihiro's companion's had breached the castle Keep, and upon hearing their leader's cries of pain, they surged through the halls, following the path of carnage left behind by the White Death.

Hanamiya eventually tired of toying with the wounded wolf, and drew his vile sword, Vitarete, a blade crafted using the darkest of arts and the foulest of magic. The sword could drain the life out of any living being and spin them into threads, which is how Hanamiya had crafted his webs in the first place. Lifting the accursed blade, he swung it back and plunged it through Akihiro's stomach.

It was to this scene that Akihiro's companion's burst in on, and upon seeing the appalling sight of their leader skewered on the end of the Corrupted King's foul blade, they flew into a rage. Hashan unleashed his toxic gaze, causing Hanamiya's blood to boil in his veins and his limbs to lock up, freezing him where he stood, while Hefestro unleashed a torrent of flame, burning his hand off and forcing the vile blade Vitarete out of their friend's sternum. Yidra surged forward and grabbed the evil king by his neck, and with his incredible strength, he tore his head clean off from his body.

It was Sahilia who first reached Akihiro, who was by now whimpering in pain and convulsing as the black arts of the sword coursed through him. Using her magic, the unicorn unwound the life threads form his battered body, cradling the great wolf in her arms as she swept healing magic over him again and again, trying to stop the bleeding from his many wounds and to staunch the flow of life energy from the hole in his stomach.

Together, the remaining three warriors blew apart the room, destroying the rest of Hanamiya's foul web and expunging his stench from the world. They then transformed into their original forms, Hashan wrapping his sinewy form around Hefestro while Yidra scooped up the others with his massive talons, placing them on his feathery back while Sahilia remained in her human form, cradling Akihiro's still bleeding form.

Together, the warriors departed the burning citadel, the last of the evil that had cursed the land for so long finally expelled.

But at what price?

Akihiro was dying. The vile sword Vitarete had done its cruel work: his life blood was draining away. And for all her power, Sahilia could do little to stop it.

They begged and pleaded with the gods to heal Akihiro, praying that they spare the life of their cherished friend. But it was in vain: the gods hardened their hearts and turned away, for they could do nothing to save their champion. The power of Vitarete was beyond even their help, and so they ignored the warrior's prayers.

Driven by desperation, the warriors followed whispers of a wandering shaman, one who could heal even the most terrible of wounds. In the Sea of Sand, the great desert that surrounds the continent to the south, they found him.

Clad in white, but with hair as black as ebony glass, the shaman was far younger than they had thought. And yet he spoke with wisdom that outweighed even the gods' own knowledge.

He agreed to heal Akihiro on one condition: that the warriors never again interfere directly with the workings of Astra. Forcing them to swear upon their life threads, he crafted a pledge that was unbreakable by the warriors, thus ensuring that they would never use their strength to destroy humanity, should they fall under the spell of evil.

And so, with their pledge cemented, the four parted ways, leaving Akihiro in the care of the shaman, and disappearing forever from the pages of history.

* * *

One hundred years passed, and the land slowly healed. Villages soon formed in the ashes of the once great kingdoms, and Peace reigned supreme. Tales of the great deeds performed by the heroes were passed down from generation to generation, slowly becoming cemented as legends of old.

Tales were especially told of Akihiro, the White Death, the Great Wolf, and his name and image: the one-eyed wolf, became the patron symbol for protection and security. Soon, his name became a household myth, a story used to scare young children into behaving. "Behave, little ones," Mothers would say to their rebellious children, "Or Akihiro will come to _eat you!_ "

Peace begot prosperity, and by the end of the hundred years, the land of Astra was fully healed and bountiful, with green forests and pure, clear rivers as far as the eye could see.

But with prosperity comes those who would prey upon it.

Rumors began to spread of the long forgotten heirs to the five Corrupted Kings. Five youths came forward, all bearing the names of the Kings of Old, the ones that had once been granted their crowns by the gods themselves.

Small armies began to gather, and things were beginning to look dark until…

The Call.

No one knew where it came from, or who sent it, but they all felt it. Each and every one of them.

A song, soft yet loud, strong but sad. Close, but still so far away.

Like a wolf's howl.

Some said it was a spell gone awry by some idiotic wizard. Others claimed it was the gods themselves.

Many, however, believed it was the great Akihiro, calling upon warriors from all over Astra to come to the source of the call.

Whoever sent it, the call was clear: _Come._

And come they did. As if laid out for them, the path was clear in their minds, and many young men, women, and even entire families followed the call.

As if overnight, a new kingdom was forged, built upon the backs and sweat of strong men and the courage of youth. It was built to be invincible, undying, unyielding. Meant to last until the end of time.

It was named the Kingdom of Teiko, and its rule was cemented into the hearts and minds of the entire continent.

Those youths who had claimed to be the five heirs to the original thrones were labeled the Uncrowned Kings, and were granted high status in the new kingdom. A royal family was established, which surprisingly did not consist of Akihiro, to many people's disappointment. Instead, a man was elected from the populace, a wise, just man by the name of Shirogane Kozo.

He was crowned King of Teiko until the end of his reign, much to the joy of the populace. Shirogane was very popular among the people, and his rule was just and fair. He soon proved himself to be the king that the gods had wished for the original five to be.

Years passed, and peace reshaped the land into a prosperous empire. Teiko expanded its borders, creating city after city for an ever growing population. It even began to encroach on the borders of Rakuzan, the gigantic empire to the north east that occupied an entire quarter of Astra.

However, no real conflict occurred until the ousting of the Uncrowned Kings.

You see, the Uncrowned Kings had all received Lordships of high status, as penance for keeping them from their rightful thrones that had long ago been overthrown. However, one of the Uncrowned Kings, an upstart by the name of Hanamiya Makoto, a descendant of the original King Hanamiya, started a riot in an attempt to set up his own kingdom in the city of Kirisaki Daichi, a relatively large city on the borders of a swamp in the North West quadrant of the Teiko Empire.

In a shocking move, another Uncrowned King by the name of Kiyoshi Teppei, a descendant of the original King Kiyoshi, rallied a crack militia against him. The two mobs met in the middle of the city, whereupon the proceeded to do battle. Kiyoshi's charisma on the battlefield inspired many to fight on, despite the sheer weight of opposing numbers that stood in their way.

This later earned him the name Kiyoshi the Iron Heart, the immovable wall of the Uncrowned Kings.

However, during the battle, an enraged Hanamiya engaged the valiant Kiyoshi in a duel, during which he indirectly ordered one of his men to cripple his opponent.

Kiyoshi was brought down by a spear jammed straight through his kneecap, but his men formed a barrier around him while they continued to fight on.

Amazingly, they lasted for three hours before soldiers from Teiko arrived to quell the situation, during which time they displayed feats of bravery rarely seen in this day and age. Shortly after the rebellion was put down, Hanamiya was exiled into the swamp, with orders never to return to civilization lest he wish to be shot on sight. He left the courtroom calling obscenities and swearing that he would return for revenge.

Kiyoshi, in the meantime, was rushed to a medical facility, where his wounds were to be treated and hopefully cured. However, the likelihood of his survival was slim indeed, for Hanamiya had been cruel, and the blade itself was poisonous. And even if he did survive, he would still be crippled for life, a shadow of his former self.

The rest of the three Uncrowned Kings, Nebuya Eikichi, Hayama Kotarou, and Mibuchi Reo all began to receive heavy abuse from the populace, and as such, they fled Teiko to seek shelter within the borders of the Rakuzan Empire, which gladly welcomed them despite strained relations with Teiko.

People were scared.

It was around this time that a Second Call came, this one much quieter than the first. However, it was far more insistent, and certainly much more selective. Only certain individuals were chosen this time, but those that were came without any hesitation or thought.

It wasn't long before Teiko came to understand exactly what the ramifications of this call were: the creation of the Kiseki no Sedai.

The Generation of Miracles.

Up until this time, the Teiko military force had been a strict and well oiled machine, held together by a stern but seasoned soldier by the name of Nijimura Shuzo. Over the course of his twenty year campaign he had single handedly decreased crime rates by a whopping 65%, and was considered by many to be the one of the best military minds in the world. However, with the arrival of the miracles, his entire world was shaken as the mere definition of how war was fought changed.

During this time, armies clashed together not only through the commands of their generals, but also through the direction of their Point Groups, the group of soldiers around which the whole army was built.

The Point Group normally consisted of the five best fighters in the army, with runner ups forming an Honor Guard around them. They would be instrumental in determining the outcome of any battle, as the Point Group's of both armies would often clash together. If the Point Group fell, the integrity of the rest of the army would often deteriorate, thus mandating the need for a constant shifting center of focus, allowing the Point Groups to inflict the maximum amount of damage on the opposing army as possible while still protecting them from overexposure to the enemy's Point Group.

The Point Group usually held five very specific positions, each of which was integral to the survival of the group. The individual fighters could also be swapped out with an Honor Guard member should the Point Group member become fatigued, temporarily promoting that Honor Guard member to Point Group.

At the beginning of the Miracle's career, there were only the four initial members of the soon to be famous (or infamous) group: Akashi Seijuro, Murasakibara Atsushi, Aomine Daiki, and Midorima Shintaro.

Serving as the fifth member of the Point Group was a man by the name of Haizaki Shougo, a young man who often had trouble with the other members of the Point Group and Honor Guard due to his volatile nature. In fact, it seemed that only Nijimura, and to some extent Akashi, had any real control over the gray haired youth. However, due to his unique strength, Haizaki excelled in his area of combat, and soon became known as Haizaki the Pillager.

The reason for this name came from a curious, innate ability that he possessed: he could steal the movements, and sometimes even entire mannerisms, from his opponents. He would observe their behavior and then mimic it, changing it slightly to suit his own style and thus throwing off the other.

However, as previously mentioned, Haizaki's volatile and oftentimes lazy nature regularly put him at odds with the rest of the group, and soon he was replaced with another member who would soon form the fifth and final member of the Generation of Miracles: Kise Ryouta.

These five members soon formed the Point Group of the Teiko army, slotting perfectly into their designated positions.

The first and most important role was occupied by their captain, Akashi Seijuro. With blood red hair and matching eyes, it was actually astonishing to discover that he had joined the Teiko military. This was in part due to the fact that he was actually Royalty, and his father, Akashi Junichiro, ruled over Rakuzan as Emperor.

To see his one and only son serving on the front lines of a rival empire's army was…nothing short of shocking for everyone.

However, Akashi soon cemented his position as Point Guard through his terrific ability at reading the battlefield. A Point Guard's duty is to coordinate the rest of the Point Group's movements, both locally and for the overall battle. It was a critical role, and Akashi performed it flawlessly and without a hitch. His weapon of choice was a customized scythe, with which he mowed down his enemies in droves, slicing them apart and staining the ground as red as his own hair.

He was also incredibly severe, often acting as the Emperor he was one day destined to become. One could often hear him quoting his catch phrase, "I am absolute!" to his compatriots, and ruled over the rest of the Generation of Miracles with an iron fist.

He was the scariest red head ever to grace the continent of Astra.

The next important position was Center, around which the rest of the Point Group rallied. This position was filled by the monstrously tall Murasakibara Atsushi, who excelled in both size and strength. Even though his mind was that of an overgrown child's, he was fierce and highly destructive with his twin battle hammers when enraged. He was, however, one of the only members of the Generation of Miracles who did not actually like to fight, the purple haired giant preferring to laze about and eat snacks. In fact, the only reason he joined the military at all was because he was so good at fighting to begin with.

That and the free food provided by the army.

The next position was Power Forward, which was filled by the Ace of the Miracles: Aomine Daiki. The cobalt-blue haired boy loved fighting, and in fact had been doing so since he could hold a miniature stick when he was a baby. However, his free spirited and formless style led to him excelling far above the normal soldiers, landing him firmly in the position on the Point Group that sees the most action. Preferring a short sword and buckler over the normal standard issue sword and shield, he liked to get in close during battle, destroying his opponents with a viciousness rarely seen by the likes of normal people.

Crass but well meaning, he excelled at what he did, and thus firmly became known as one of the strongest of the Kiseki no Sedai.

That still left two spots to fill.

Surprisingly enough, the majority of Point Groups often contained an archer. While it may seem illogical to have such a fighter on the actually battlefield where he is most vulnerable, one must remember that the Point Group was the pivotal spot in the army, and thus a place where the entire battlefield is visible from.

Therefore, theoretically it's the ideal position for an archer, particularly one that is above average, to be placed.

And thus, the position of Shooting Guard was filled by none other than Midorima Shintaro himself, the green eyed, green haired, glasses wearing Tsundere freak (or so Aomine called him). Midorima was beyond excellent with a bow and arrow. Armed with a magical bow and bottomless quiver, Midorima could land shots from miles away and still hit the bull's eye. His power shots were impressive to say the least: an average shot, when aimed straight forward, could pierce through five to ten men at once, piercing through armor, shields, and bodies due to the power of the bow.

Being on the receiving end of such shots was every opponent's worst nightmare, for pieces of the arrow often splintered off due to the power of the shot, acting as shrapnel and often killing or mortally wounding you.

However, it was Midorima's high arching shots that caused the most damage to their opponents. Due to his unique eye view from the Point Group, Midorima could spot high priority targets, such as commanding officers or large clumps of soldiers, and pick them off, his arrows often causing mass confusion; especially the incendiary arrows, which sparked many fires on the battlefield.

However, despite the deadly accuracy of his shots, very few people could ever take Midorima completely seriously. This was in large part due to the fact that he was an avid believer in fate, and subscribed daily to a local fortune-teller named Oha Asa, who mapped out the luck of different Zodiac signs and gave out lists of lucky items for each sign.

These items changed daily, and Midorima would often be seen every morning hunting for the day's lucky item, which he would then proceed to haul around everywhere with him. This included (to the horror of the rest of the Generation of Miracles) onto the battlefield, and once led to the curious appearance of the green haired archer firing shot after shot with a giant teddy bear attached over his quiver, which was constantly interfering with his shots but which he refused to take off, insisting that he required it for his shots to be 100% accurate. That is, until Kise cut it in half (by accident, he claims to this very day)

And speaking of Kise, the final member of the Generation of Miracles filled the final spot on the Point Group: Small Forward. Considered to be the least important of the positions, the Small Forward's job was to back up the rest of the Group and act as a roving member, constantly jumping in wherever he was needed. However, Kise's unofficial duty was to also watch Midorima's back, due to the fact that the green-head often lost his awareness of his surroundings during the midst of battle, too focused on making sure his shots landed perfectly where he wanted them to go. Luckily for the blond, the rest of the Generation of Miracles were all so skilled that they hardly ever needed his help, allowing him to focus almost entirely on Midorima.

Kise's abilities, contrary to his position, were actually the most impressive of the group. Like Haizaki before him, Kise could copy the abilities of others, right down to mimicking their little quirks and idiosyncrasies. However, his copying ability went a step further than Haizaki's. Due to his inherent magic, he could contort and transform his body to perfectly match that of whoever he's copying. When he amps it up, he can even begin to transform his voice, thought processes, and even face and hair, literally becoming that person.

It can sometimes be highly disturbing, especially in the midst of battle.

His weapon had similar properties to Kise's own abilities. No one knew for sure exactly what it was made of; they only knew it was unlike any metal they had ever seen. In its basic form, it took the form of a regular sword, resting easily in Kise's sheath. However, whenever he unsheathed it, the sword would mold and shift to be whatever weapon Kise wished to copy, the metal flowing like liquid, becoming either rigid as a sword or flexible as a bow as the need required.

It was quite the amazing piece of magic.

But for all his strength, Kise certainly did not have the personality to match. Imagine all the pretty boy blonde clichés you can think of, combine it with an airheaded sense of moral correctness, mix it up with the brutality that comes with being an elite soldier fighting in the army regularly, and sprinkle on a dash of Golden Retriever puppy personality, and you get the annoying, hyperactive, and stunningly good-looking bundle of golden energy that is Kise Ryouta. He was easily at the bottom of the Generation of Miracle's totem pole, and quite often was found to have the lowest kill count out of all of them, despite still being able to mow down droves of men in the dozens.

He also had the annoying habit of adding "-cchi" at the end of the names of people he respected, giving everyone his own "cute" little nickname.

However, despite having the Point Group filled up, the Generation of Miracles had one more formally recognized member: Momoi Satsuki, adopted daughter of King Shirogane and subsequent princess of Teiko. Despite never engaging in actual combat, her skills at gathering intelligence and planning out battle strategies went beyond average, and oftentimes she and Akashi would devise battle plans so fool proof that it would take an act of the gods to cause them to mess up.

Or if Murasakibara tried to eat Midorima's lucky item again. That had happened once, and the result had been disastrous, leaving the army scratching their heads as a flaming purple haired giant ran across enemy lines, crushing the opposing soldiers with his huge feet while his arms pinwheeled above his head in terror, all the while ducking and weaving to avoid arrows being shot at him by an enraged boy that looked surprisingly like a carrot with glasses.

There was rumored to be phantom sixth man on the battlefield, though; a ghost who supposedly contributed to the Miracle's success. The rumors also told of how the Miracles themselves recognized this person as one of them, and treated the ghost as an equal.

However, no one had ever actually seen or heard from this phantom sixth man, and so he remained nothing more than a myth.

Now, you must be wondering, if this is a time of peace, where on Astra were the Generation of Miracles and the armies of Teiko doing all this fighting? Well, when news of the ousting of the Uncrowned Kings reached the South-East end of the Teiko Empire (an area that had long resented Imperial rule) riots broke out, and many cities overthrew their local governments and declared themselves to be independent city states. Nambara, Haranishi, Kadooka, and many more cities began to outright rebel against the rule of Teiko, and soon harsh dictators rose to challenge each other and claim the land in between.

The armies of Teiko moved in with fierce assurance, quickly winning battle after battle in what soon became a Civil War.

Massive armies were raised by the city states, the largest being the powerhouse of Shoei, ostensibly the capital of the Southern quadrant and quite an important city for the Empire.

They had an army of over 40,000 strong, all heavily trained and well coordinated. There had even been rumors that the Uncrowned King Kiyoshi Teppei had once personally trained the Point Group there.

If anyone could stop Teiko, it was Shoei.

When the met on the battlefield, however, something became abundantly obvious: they stood no chance.

Within hours, the Shoei army was completely annihilated by Teiko and their Generation of Miracles, the colorful Point Group ripping through waves of men like a hot knife through butter. The Shoei Point Group, which had oftentimes been compared to Teiko's own Kiseki no Sedai, were all wiped out: killed on the battledfield.

The fields of Shoei were drenched in the blood of men that day, and it was on this occasion that something inherently changed among the Generation of Miracles. Their dynamic was off; they no longer laughed or joked, but instead retreated within themselves, seeing their job as soldiers more and more as a chore rather than an adventure.

As they continued to mop up the rest of the rebelling city states, they steadily grew colder and colder, each maturing in their own ways and becoming their own warriors. Kise no longer glomped his fellow soldiers. Aomine began to repeat the term "No one can beat me but me" over and over again to himself. Even Murasakibara became harsher towards his lesser soldiers.

But in no one was the decline more apparent than in Akashi. His eyes, once both solid red and glowing with pride and energy, were now a heterochromatic red and gold. He now only lived to win, and his words were even harsher than before. There was nothing he couldn't do in his eye, and everything he said was right. He also gained his most fearsome ability yet: Emperor Eye.

The ability to see into the future.

He could see where the battle was going to progress, and what his immediate opponents next moves were going to be, even before they themselves knew it. He grew so strong that soon his enemies were not even allowed to remain standing; they were kneeling before the Emperor, bowing their heads and waiting for the killing blow to come from his blood stained scythe.

He truly became a monster that day.

Ironically enough, the last city to fall was Meiko, the first one to rebel. The battle was long and brutal, but in the end, they were no match for the Generation of Miracles. The only one who even stood the slightest of chances was their ace, the Power Forward Ogiwara Shigehiro. He was matched up against Aomine, of all people, and surprisingly appeared to be evenly matched.

That is, right up until the end of the battle, when it was revealed to the Meiko Point Group that they had been decieved. Instead of fighting them properly, the Generation of Miracles had been toying with them, playing out the fight for as long as they could just so that they could get some enjoyment out of them. They had also wished to match up the scores of both Point Groups: the Generation of Miracles together killed 1,111 men, while they ensured that the Meiko Point Group only killed 111. It was this act of perverse cruelty that fully broke the hearts of Meiko, and the rest of the army immediately surrendered.

Ogiwara, however, disappeared after the fight, and despite rumors of a bright-blue haired Teiko soldier going looking for him, he was nowhere to be found.

It was like the orange haired boy had just walked off the face of the earth.

It wasn't long after this that disturbing news reached the Teiko forces: King Shirogane had died, leaving the Steward, Sanada Naoto, in charge of Teiko until Momoi could return home to claim the throne for herself. The army immediately turned around and began the long march home, but a steady stream of new slowly revealed that things were not as cut and dry as they had at first seemed. Many within the walls of Teiko did not believe that an adopted daughter should inherit the throne, seeing as she had no blood right. Rumors of in fighting and assassinations ran rampant, and the Generation of Miracles began to fear the worst.

Soon, it was revealed that the Kingdom of Teiko, the heart of the largest Empire in the world, was ripping itself apart in a bloody civil war as politicians attempted to grab power. It was said that Sanada was killed while attempting to mobilize the home guard, and that the Empire was going to fall within a matter of days.

Many of the soldiers from the main army began to desert, many going off in separate directions to seek shelter in the many cities scattered across the country. By the time the remains of the army finally arrived at the Capital, it was to find the city ransacked and almost completely destroyed; the engines of war stored in the main arsenal having been unleashed onto its own populace.

It was then that another shocking development occurred: The Kiseki no Sedai, the Generation of Miracles, the pride and glory of the once great Teiko Empire, was splitting up. Each member went their own way, all with the sole goal of choosing a city state and waiting for the time when war would once again beat out across the land. Kise went north, Murasakibara went east. Akashi returned to the north-east, back to Rakuzan where his father still reigned. Momoi went west with Aomine, hoping to ensure that her childhood friend remained out of danger. Midorima went to the south west, seeking the low country and sea.

As for a certain phantom sixth man, his destiny too lay in the west.

Within days of the capital's fall, cities all over the country began to throw off their old trappings of Teiko government and declared their own sovereignty.

Within weeks, over two hundred city states had been established, all with their own power base and armies.

And only one of them would come out on top.

It was a time of Peace. It was a time of War.

The gods looked down from their place in the heavens, hoping, praying, that some miracle would save the land of Astra from disaster.

And all their hopes rested in one bright-blue haired boy as he made his way invisibly along the path to a newly founded city alongside the sea. A city with a proud and noble future: the city of Seirin.

* * *

The traveler stopped at the top of the hill, letting out an exhale as he rested against a cherry blossom tree, rubbing his aching shoulders as he shifted his heavy pack. Bright blue hair adorned his head, and wide, brilliant blue eyes gazed out from a pale face, his expression even but slightly winded as he wiped some sweat from his brow. Raising his hand to shield his face from the sun, he peered down at the town below: the shining city of Seirin, resting alongside the sea.

With a booming port and every growing walls, Seirin was a jewel to behold. Its pennants flew proudly atop the main Keep, and he could see soldiers training in the stock yards.

His name was Kuroko Tetsuya, and he was a member of the now disbanded Generation of Miracles.

His specialty: invisibility and assassination, as evidenced by the twin daggers strapped to his chest and short sword hanging from his side.

"Well," he breathed out, once again shouldering his bag in order to begin the final leg of his journey. "Time to put the past behind me. Watch out Akashi…I'm coming for you."

* * *

"Be ready to cast off the main sails!" the captain called out, sending sailors scurrying everywhere over the deck in an effort to prepare for the docking. Smiling, the captain turned his beady eyes on his tall passenger, a bright young lad with a large sword strapped to his back. Dark red hair rested atop his head, along with an even darker second layer beneath it, almost black. Curious split eyebrows rested atop dark, wild red eyes that stared out severely at the crew, his expression appearing to be one of permanent scorn. "How was your trip, laddie?" he asked, slapping the large man on the shoulder.

The boy jumped, a surprised look flashing across his face. _"Oh, uh, it was great!"_ he said in a foreign language, to which the captain only chuckled and shook his head. "Oi lad, you're in _Astra_ now! Got to speak their language here. No more of that funny speak, or else they'll think you're daft!" he said, to which the boy nodded and gulped.

"It was o.k. Captain," he said, a smile spreading across his face as he stretched his arms out above his head.

"Aye, lad. Best of luck to ye," he said, giving the man another pat on the back before turning away to begin unloading his cargo.

Kagami Taiga admired the port city-state of Seirin, his eyes taking in the large Keep with the many pennants flying from its banisters, along with the other smaller castles dotting the city and surrounding area.

Rising his hand, he formed a fist in the air, a fire alighting within his eyes. "Just you wait, Tatsuya! I'll find you soon," he said, the sun glinting off a bright metal ring hanging from a chain around his neck. "And when I do," he continued, pumping his fist up and down while an excited smile spread across his face. "I'll be sure to beat you fair and square this time. You'll see!"

* * *

TBC

(Very soon)

* * *

 **I am not going to lie: I marathoned a lot of Two Steps From Hell before writing this. And this entire first chapter has been written in one go, with no editing and barely any breaks.**

 **Woot woot! I did it!**

 **Review!**

 **(Akihiro will find you if you don't. Just saying)**

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 **V**


	2. First Day in Seirin

**Alright, here's where the real story begins. Get ready for a face full of Kagami and Kuroko as I transform his basketball-idiot mindset into a fighting-idiot mindset.**

 **Kuroko's Basketball is not owned by me. I do, however, own Astra.**

* * *

The Cherry Blossom Trees were all blooming that day, sending their brilliant pink petals streaming out across the wharf and bordering harbor, where ships from all over the coastline pulled in to the shining new port of Seirin.

On the docks, a plethora of commercial activity dominated the area, with dozens people crammed onto the congested boardwalks, all going about buying and selling their wares.

Our focus, however, should be directed at two men in particular, both of whom stood in the middle of the primary wharf, calling out in their loud voices and handing out fliers to passerby's.

"The Army! Join the Army! The Military is always available for newcomers!" one of the men shouted, a young man hardly older than twenty-three, still garbed in the trappings of youth. Excitement seeming to bounce off his body as he passed out fliers to people walking past him, his cat-like smile beaming with energy.

"Hoi, Koganei! That's not how you're supposed to say it!" the other man called out to him, a disapproving frown on his face. Koganei turned with an irritated expression, his mousy brown hair flapping sideways as he directed his gaze towards his friend. "Oh yeah, then how would you do it, Izuki-kun?" he asked.

Izuki merely smiled back at Koganei, before holding up a finger in the air. _"Please aid us with your swords and shields. We could certainly use you for the winning **edge!**_ " he said calmly and politely, his silvery black eyes flashing with delight as he was able to use his carefully thought out crappy pun. He had been waiting all day for that!

Koganei sighed and shook his head. "I've had enough of your jokes today," he said, before reaching out with another flier to a passerby.

He and his comrade had been tasked with the tedious assignment of recruiting newcomers into their ever growing military force. It was quite an important job, seeing as how Seirin had just recently been founded only a year ago, and their army was still woefully underfunded. It was essential to the city's continued survival, to, due to constant threats from surrounding city-states like Shinkyo and Meiji.

Koganei and Izuki had both been there when Seirin had been founded. After the fall of Teiko, many refugees had been left homeless and afraid, but certainly not helpless. Under the instructions of their brilliant and inspirational leader, they had constructed this city from nothing, providing a home for thousands.

Koganei and Izuki, along with the rest of the Seirin Point Group, had defended the workers while they were constructed the main Keep, fending off regular bandit attacks and skirmishes with surrounding city-state forces. It had been quite the colossal effort erecting the walls under such conditions, but it was all worth it. The refugees now had a city to call their own, and Seirin was already booming economically.

However, no one was under any delusions that this temporary peace would last.

A storm was brewing, everyone could feel it.

The tension in the air.

People were getting out their grindstones, sword smiths were pouring out their wares like never before, and the engineers were being put to use in order to build better walls and engines of war.

It was only a matter of time before the tension boiled over and one of the city-states snapped, setting off a chain reaction and plunging the whole continent into war.

And after that, who was to say that any of them would still be alive?

But there was no use in worrying about that just yet. It was spring time, a time for preparation and relaxation. And all they could do now was prepare for the coming war and hope for the best.

"Hey, Mitobe! Make sure they hear you!" Koganei called over to another man, who was standing a little farther down the peer handing out fliers. The man turned, his calm blue eyes and sweeping black hair looking back at the cat-like boy with a warm smile.

"…"

Mitobe blinked, his smile still in place, before turning back to offer another flier to a pedestrian.

Koganei frowned. "You're never going to do it, are you?" he said quietly, before pivoting on his feet and facing the opposite direction.

"Join the- UURF!" he cried, letting out a surprised yelp as he collided with the rock hard sternum of a person standing directly in front of him.

"Is this the military recruitment?" a deep voice asked, causing Koganei to take a step back and tilt his head up.

Looking down on him from a whopping six foot eight was a pair of deep, wild red eyes burning with the intensity of a tiger. Deep red hair adorned the top of his head, along with a darker under-layer. Similarly colored split eyebrows rested atop his brow, the curiously shaped lines of hair furrowed into a scowl as the man stared down at the shorter male.

Koganei gulped. What an imposing figure!

Here he was, a second year fighter, acting like a fresh recruit in the face of his first drill sergeant. What a shame.

"Y-Yes!" he said, taking a step back and feebly holding out a flier for the man to hold.

"Hmph," the man said.

* * *

"If we only had a few more!" Riko sighed, leaning back in her chair while crossing her arms behind her head, a pout forming on her fair face. "Gods know we need them!" she said, looking up at the ceiling of their little stall.

"Well, we've already gotten twelve so far today," her companion replied, attempting to cheer the other up.

If one were to ask Hyuuga Junpei what a ruler should be like, he would most likely respond with a description of a bold and powerful king, one who was knowledgeable, wise, and always reliant. He probably would _not_ describe anyone like Aida Riko, the young woman who sat beside him dressed in casual everyday clothes, her crown resting underneath her chair gathering dirt while she whined and moaned about the lack of interest shown by the populace.

Dressed in a skirt and light chainmail, she had incredibly short brown hair and wide brown eyes, a small hairclip parting her hair to the side in a cute manner. She was noticeably lacking in the chest area, but she more than made up for it with her charisma and go-getter personality.

He himself was the Captain of the Guard for Seirin, a position that led to him working very closely with the Queen on many occasions. With his skills as an archer, he had landed himself the Shooting Guard position on the Point Group, commanding the fighting force with mental brawn and enthusiastic charisma.

Along with a few beatings if Koganei or Izuki ever got out of line.

Dressed in light outer garments with a single coat of chainmail, Hyuuga sat next to the Queen at the recruitment stand, waiting with baited breath for nice young men to sign up for their shiny new military.

Well, at least that's the way Riko described it. She was rather enthusiastic about the army, what with her practically raising this city from nothing in just under a year (a remarkable feat even with the help of magic).

Of course she would want to defend it!

Case in point:

"If we win more battles, people will flock to our flags," Riko sighed dreamily, stars appearing in her wide brown eyes as she imagined the hordes of soldiers that would come flocking to their flags once she, Aida Riko, stood Queen of Astra!

Oh, all the numbers she could analyze! Yeeee!

"Casually putting pressure on your Captain, are you?" Hyuuga said with a knowing grin, closing his gray eyes behind his glasses while he chuckled internally at the monarch's transparency.

Aida smirked. "Oh, Hyuuga, I didn't know you'd become so delicate!" she jeered, causing the dark haired boy to wince at the jab.

"I try, I try!" he said to no one in particular, slamming his forehead down on the desk in exasperation. It was hard to put up with the girl's constant humiliation, especially in front of his troops.

Aida chuckled, before the approaching sound of footsteps prompted her to look just in time to see…

Koganei's crying face.

"~The new recruits are here~" he whimpered, his eyes screwed up as he hung like a limp kitten from a larger man's grasp, the man's hand wrapped tightly around the scruff of Koganei's neck.

In that moment, he truly looked like the trapped cat that he so often resembled.

Who knows, maybe Koganei _is_ part cat. Practically anything is possible with magic and it wouldn't be surprising if somewhere along Koganei's family tree a sorcerer or warlock had created a cat-human hybrid whose traits had been passed down all the way to Koganei. After all, cats _do_ freeze up when you grab them in that area.

Or maybe it was something exclusively Koganei-ish

Who knows.

Blinking her eyes, Riko scrambled to get her thoughts back in order as she looked away from Koganei's distracting face.

"Wh-Who?" she asked, before her eyes were slowly drawn up…and up…and up…!

Finally, she made eye contact with a pair of wild, blood-red orbs that stared down at her from beneath split eyebrows. The man wore dark clothing, with chainmail visible beneath his outer layer, along with a metal ring hanging from a chain around his neck. The top of his head matched the color of his eyes, while a second, lower layer of hair was a much darker red, almost black. The hilt of a broadsword could be seen peeking out from over his right shoulder where it was strapped onto his back, the bright silver and black handle looking well worn but still ready for use.

"Is this the sign up for the military?" the man asked, his dangerous looking eyes boring into Riko's own soft brown ones.

The Queen stuttered for a moment, seeming to choke on her own tongue, before swallowing and hesitantly stammering out, "Ye-Yes!"

As she got over her initial shock, her attitude rapidly did a complete one-eighty, a broad grin blooming across her face as she stared hungrily at the man's powerful frame. Grabbing a quill from off the table, she offered it to the large man as he place the limp body of Koganei face down on the table. Pulling out a chair from the desk, the man stepped over the back and sat down, his frame tall enough that the action took almost no effort. Snagging the quill out of the air, his eyes snapped between the woman and the man sitting across from him, his expression still locked into a scowl.

"Please sign this register here," Riko said with a smile, pointing animatedly towards the ledger located on the table before the man. The man broke eye contact from the two as he looked down to pen in his name into the ledger, his handwriting sloppy and his Kanji clearly out of practice.

When he was finished with the roster, he set his quill down and stood up, preparing to leave without saying another word. Riko leaned over the table, examining the words he had inked in. "You didn't give a reason for fighting?" she asked, pointing to the blank space on the ledger.

The man scoffed, his scowl deepening. "Why would I?" he asked.

Riko cocked her head to the side, confused at his answer. "All men have a reason for fighting. We feel it's our job to get to know why our soldiers sign up when they do," she said, a smile on her face.

The red-head's scowl only deepened, the corners of his mouth tugging downwards in a frown. "Fighting is fighting, whether it's here or back in Ameritas. I don't need to have a reason to want to use my sword," he said, before turning away and walking off.

Riko watched him go, shivers going up and down her spine as the dangerous vibes coming off the guy continued to hang in the air.

"So scary…!" Koganei whimpered from his spot on the table, his eyes still leaking tears.

"And strong!" Riko said wistfully, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Did you hear him?! That man's from Ameritas!"

Ameritas was a continent from far across the sea. Very few people ever went there, as it was far more primitive and dangerous than Astra. Only a few settlements resided on the coastline, most people not willing to venture too far inland for fear of being devoured by the wild creatures that lived there.

Those that did live there were all known to be stout, strong, and doggedly powerful fighters. They had to be, in order to survive in such an unforgiving place.

"He's got to be the best fighter we've seen so far!" she cried.

"With him on our side, we'll be sure to win a few battles!" Hyuuga agreed, forming a fist and pumping it quietly in celebration.

Riko's eyes flashed in warning, before she smacked her open palm across the Captain's face, sending him spiraling to the ground. "What do you mean ' _a few battles?'_ " she cried, flames appearing around her as an aura of rage engulfed her slight frame. "We're going to win every single one, you hear me! I will not have insubordination from my Captain!" she screamed as she slammed her boot-clad foot into his back, pressing him into the pavement.

" _Yesh Ma'am_ ," came Hyuuga's muffled response as he spoke through a mouthful of dirt, his head still spinning from the force of the hit.

Nodding in triumph, the Queen removed her foot from the downed man's back, allowing him to get back up and brush himself off. "So how many men does that leave us with now?" she asked him.

"Thirteen I think," he replied, scratching the back of his neck to loosen it up from the whiplash from the powerful strike.

"Uh, guys? You're forgetting this one!" Koganei said, pointing to a name on the ledger just above Kagami's.

Hyuuga's eyebrow shot up in surprise. "What?" he asked, coming over to take a look at the paper. "What do you mean? I was here the whole time; I didn't see anyone else."

"Well, there're fourteen names here." Koganei said, pointing to the ledger once again as his mouth pulled down into an indignant frown. "So either the guy's a ghost, or you need to get your eyes checked _again!_ " he spat, his eyes flashing with a malicious glint.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" the bespectacled Captain growled menacingly, a tick mark appearing on his forehead while he popped his knuckles.

"Guys, look at this!" Riko said, interrupting the two glaring males as she too bent over the ledger.

Perking up, Koganei and Hyuuga both came over to her side, where they too bent down to examine the roster.

"Kuroko Tetsuya…" Riko said quietly, her eyes lingering on the name before she let out a gasp.

"What?" Koganei asked, his usual enthusiasm quickly returning. "Look," Riko said, pointing to another column where the recruits were to designate their previous military experience.

There, written in perfectly neat Kanji (so different from Kagami's messy scrawl) were the words _Teiko Empire Point Group._

All three stared in shock at the paper, none of them truly believing what they were reading. "T-Teiko _Point Group?!_ " Koganei stammered, taking a step back from the ledger as a shiver went up and down his spine.

"So that must mean…" Hyuuga whispered, his eyes wide in shock.

"He's a member of the Generation of Miracles!" Riko cried, fireworks going off in her eyes as she threw her hands up in joy.

"Wow! You mean those really strong guys who used to fight for Teiko?!" Koganei cried, slamming his hands down on the table while a grin of his own spread across his face.

"YES!" Riko said happily, before clutching her head with both hands. "OOHHH! Why can't I remember that Golden Egg's face?" she cried in frustration. "I'm sure someone as strong as that would stick out in a crowd!"

As she said this, boy with bright blue hair adorning his head passed by the stand, his nose buried in a book as he followed behind the still retreating form of one Kagami Taiga.

Ghostly blue eyes looked over the brim of the book to peer through his pale blue fringe at the goliath's retreating back, taking in the broad muscles, powerful build, well kept chainmail, and beautifully crafted broadsword.

 _'Could I have found myself a new light?'_ Kuroko thought to himself as he followed behind the man, his presence invisible to the rest of the world thanks to his naturally low presence and concealing magic.

* * *

"Alright, listen up!" Hyuuga called out, turning to address the new recruits as they gathered in the stock yard for their first day of training. "You have now entered into the service of the Seirin Army. That means whatever I says goes, understand? Your life belongs to us!"

All the recruits gulped, asking themselves what they were thinking when they had signed that form.

Hyuuga smirked, before calling out again. "Now, line up in order! We're going to run an inspection to see if you're really good enough to join our force!"

"YES, CAPTAIN!" the recruits all shouted in unison, quickly lining up in a neat row, all facing towards the intimidating Captain.

"Hey," one of the recruits, a young man of about slightly shorter than average height with mousy brown hair, whispered to another recruit next to him. "Don't you think the medic is rather cute?" he asked, pointing towards a brown haired girl standing by the fence of the stock yards observing them.

"Yeah, she looks _really_ cute! Just wish she was a little sexier though," the recruit whispered back.

Suddenly, both yelped in pain as the backs of their head's were struck by a double fist punch from Hyuuga, who had somehow managed to get behind them undetected. "Morons. Listen as your ruler addresses you," he growled while the two massaged the backs of their heads.

"Ruler?" the first recruit asked, his small, pinprick eyes zipping back and forth across the lawn in search of the illusive monarch. "Where?"

"Attention new recruits!" a loud, female voice called from in front of them, ringing out across the open air of the stock yards.

The recruits' eyes were all drawn to the lone figure standing before them: the formerly believed-to-be-medic was staring at them with her hands on her hips, a cocky grin spread across her face and a glittering golden tiara resting on her head. "I am Aida Riko, your Queen and leader of the Seirin army!"

"WHAAT?!" cried the recruits in unison.

This little shrimp of a girl was to be their Leader?

"Quiet! All of you!" Hyuuga shouted, moving to stand by the Queen's side with a stern look on his face.

Everyone immediately shut up at the man's gaze, all of them snapping back to attention, lest they incur the Captain's wrath.

"Thank you Captain Hyuuga," Riko said, a vindictive smile spreading across her face as she stared meaningfully at the new recruits. "As some of you might be aware, you have been selected from the candidates to undergo Point Group training. Many of you will fail, but for those of you who make the cut, you will be granted a position in the Honor Guard. While Hyuuga and the rest of the original Point Group will assist me in judging you, it is I who will be the one to make the final call. So if you want in, _impress me!"_ she announced.

Suddenly, her smile turned sinister as a scary gleam appeared in her eyes. "Now, your first order of business is…"

She paused for dramatic effect, before announcing loudly, "STRIP!"

…

No one moved. No one even blinked. The recruits stared at their self-proclaimed ruler in unadulterated shock, trying to comprehend exactly what she had asked them to do.

Hyuuga snorted in derision. "You heard her!" he shouted, breaking the recruits out of their stupor and motivating them into action.

Within a few minutes, the recruits had discarded most of their clothes, and stood before the Queen bare-chested and in their undergarments, all royally embarrassed.

Riko nodded in satisfaction, her evil little smile still spread across her face as she reveled in the chance to debase a few more recruits. However, her face quickly became passive, her eyes attaining a glassy appearance as she started to walk down the line, examining each of the new recruits as she passed them.

She stopped at one of the first ones in the line, the brown haired youth who had mistaken her for a medic. "You! What's your name?" she asked, her eyes flicking all over his exposed chest as a blush bloomed across the young man's face. "Fur-Furihata Kouki," he stuttered, still a little nervous at the intense stare the Queen was giving him.

"Your upper body's a little stiff," Riko said, her voice clear and factual, without any kind of inflection. "I bet you can do fifty side-jumps in twenty seconds. You'll have to do a little better if you want to join the Point Group."

"Y-Yes ma'am," he said, blinking in astonishment at the rapid-fire analyses.

As Riko moved on, her turned to one of the older soldiers, Izuki, with disbelieving eyes. "How did she do that?" he asked breathlessly.

Izuki smirked, his dark eyes flashing a little in the sunlight. "Her Father was a Duke in Teiko's capital city. It was his job as a military adviser to assess and coordinate the soldiers' training schedules. Riko often tagged along, and over the years she picked up a few tricks."

Izuki paused to look back at Riko, who was continuing down the line and commenting on all the different recruits' bodies. "She can see your physical traits in terms of numbers," he said, pointing to his own eyes as he looked back at Furihata. "It's a skill that makes her a master at recruiting raw talent for soldiers like us. Which is why we let her get so involved with the recruitment program."

"Not that we could stop her anyway," Koganei muttered, chewing his bottom lip in irritation.

"Wow," Furihata said quietly, impressed by the young Queen's skill.

Riko paused when she reached the end of the line, her mouth dropping in disbelief as she analyzed a certain redhead's Adonis-like form.

Kagami was built like a GOD!

With sculpted abs, bulging pecs, powerful biceps, and even more impressive leg muscles, he seemed to be a walking one-man army. His numbers were astronomical, higher than any other fighter Riko had ever seen!

His potential was literally _limitless!_

"Riko, you okay?" Koganei called, interrupting the brunet from her muscle-induced trance. She jumped in surprise, before a blush formed on her face when she realized she had been practically drooling over Kagami.

Turning back to the redhead, she glanced sheepishly up to his face, which was furrowed up in slight confusion. "You pass," she said simply, before stepping past him.

Her face suddenly screwed up in confusion as she faced the blank space next to Kagami. Looking up and down the row, she made a quick mental checklist of all the recruits she had looked at.

Something wasn't right.

Pulling out a scroll from the satchel strapped to her waist, Riko examined the names written on it, counting them up and then counting the soldiers before her.

One of them was missing.

"Kuroko? Kuroko Tetsuya?" she called, looking up and down the line in confusion. She was sure that a member of such a miraculous group as the Generation of Miracles would at least have the decency to attend the first training exercise, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Looks like he didn't show up!" Izuki said, scratching his own head in confusion.

Riko sighed, before turning away from the line. "All right. Let's start with some dri-"

"Excuse me."

Riko froze as a quiet voice came out of thin air just in front of her, and as if by magic a boy suddenly appeared before her eyes, messy bright-blue hair resting atop his head and fully dressed in combat gear.

"Ah-ah-AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Riko cried, leaping away from the apparition like it was a demon from hell.

"Holy-" Izuki gasped, while Hyuuga let out a few choice words of his own. The rest of the recruits jumped back at the boy's sudden appearance, all surprised at his ethereal appearance.

The boy was dressed in all black clothing, the cloth rough but functional, with minor decorations here and there. Ghostly white skin provided a stark contrast to the rest of his outfit, and Riko could see little glimpses of the well-crafted chainmail that rested beneath his outer tunic.

Stunningly bright blue hair adorned his head, and matching large blue eyes peered out from his curiously blank face.

He looked to be like some kind of ghost or god, his appearance inhuman but beautiful.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," he said, his soft voice managing to reach the ears of everyone present despite his quiet volume.

"WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?" Riko shouted, her hand shooting towards her sword in an instinctual act of self-defense.

"I've been here the whole time," Kuroko said evenly, seemingly unfazed by the Queen's overt reaction.

Everyone stared at the boy, their shock quickly turning into mystified wonder. _'How on Earth did he do that?'_ they all thought.

"Is this the power of the Kiseki no Sedai?" Hyuuga whispered, his mouth hanging open in incredulity.

Kagami frowned. _'What's the Kiseki no Sedai?'_ he thought to himself, before his eyes were once again drawn back to the new boy as he shifted before the Queen.

 _'Damn!'_ Kagami thought as he refocused his eyes again, trying to keep the boy in his view. For some reason, every time Kagami blinked the boy's form would become blurry and indistinct, and Kagami would have to take a second to find him again.

Considering the boy was standing not five feet away from him, that was both terrifying and incredibly annoying.

 _'He has almost no presence at all! If you're not actively looking for him, odds are you're going to miss him completely!'_ Kagami thought in awe.

How can someone like this **exist?**

"R-Right," the Queen finally said, taking a deep breath as she readjusted her crown, which had gone askew during her initial jump. "Okay, okay," she murmured, letting out a final breath before reopening her eyes, forcing herself to focus on the nearly invisible boy in front of her.

She frowned as she noticed his clothing still on his body despite her previous command. "Take off your armor," she commanded, to which the other nodded and obeyed.

Stripping off his weapons, chainmail, and tunic, the boy finally divested of his undershirt, revealing his porcelain white torso.

Riko let out a gasp at what she saw.

* * *

The Queen sat in her private quarters, staring at her dinner in contemplation. The image of Kuroko Tetsuya's pale torso reappeared in her mind, the ghostly body seeming to haunt her.

 _'His numbers are much lower than average, and he seems to already be almost at his limit,'_ she thought, a frown tugging on the corners of her mouth as she folded her hands together, the food in front of her still remaining completely untouched.

How is he a member of the Generation of Miracles? The boy was nearly invisible, and his body was frail and thin. It almost looked like a gust of wind could carry him away!

How the _hell_ could someone like him end up as an integral part of the strongest army ever seen on the face of Astra?

"Aaargh, I don't understand it!" she cried aloud, gripping her head and slamming it onto the table in front of her.

* * *

It was nighttime now in Seirin, and streets were quiet except for a few stragglers here and there. Most everyone here had a home, and the few paupers and homeless that did reside within the city found refuge in one of the many shrines dotting the cityscape.

From the training yards, however, sounds of wood and stone being hacked and smashed could be heard clearly as a lone soldier stood facing another wooden target, deep red hair glowing in the combined light of the torches and the stars.

Kagami growled as he skewered the dummy, the sandbag serving as the target's chest ripping apart as he plunged clean through the fraying thread and sand with a single thrust of his finely honed broadsword's deadly sharp point. The target careened back a few inches, the wood straining from the power of the strike, before it snapped back into place, the enchantments lacing its surface beginning to glow green as the damage was mended and the stitching resewn, as was customary of all targets in Astra.

Kagami was worked up from the day's events, what with the Queen getting all weird and staring him; plus that mystery boy's unsettling appearance had really thrown him for the loop.

It made his entire body tingle with pent up energy.

And so Kagami did what he always did when he needed to calm down: Train.

However, something seemed to be lacking this particular night. Maybe the dummies just didn't seem realistic enough, or maybe the balance of his sword was off.

Or maybe he just really needed a real person with which he could vent his frustrations upon in a good old fashioned sparring match.

If he were back in Ameritas, he would probably be begging either Tatsuya or Alex for a training match. Most likely Tatsuya; his brother always was a lot more lenient towards him than his blond master. But Tatsuya wasn't here, and this wasn't Ameritas.

This was Astra, Kagami's birthplace and homeland. A strange continent that he had hardly ever known, one where the magic was much closer to the surface due to centuries of having been drawn on by mages and soldiers.

It set his skin alight with an unnatural fire as his soul wailed his frustration.

 _'So now all I can do was take it out on some dummies'_ he thought as he lined his sword for another strike.

However, a sudden blurry image just to the right of the dummy caused Kagami's aim to waver, and the sword snagged on the wood of the target's face arm, causing inertia to rip it out of his hands and send the sword spinning through the air.

Suddenly, another pale, ghostly hand shot out from thin air and snagged the handle of the broadsword, grasping it tightly for a moment before the weight of the blade forced the hand to drop it to the ground. The unknown figure's other hand came up to grasp the handle as well, just to keep the heavy sword from dropping to the ground completely.

Kagami took a step back and blinked, the figure's full form finally coming into clear view: it was the same boy from earlier today, complete with startlingly blue hair and matching wide blue eyes.

Kuroko Tetsuya, if he remembered correctly.

"When did you get here?" Kagami asked, his eyes widening in surprise.

Kuroko's expression did not waver from its flat neutral form as he held out the sword for Kagami to take back. "Good evening," he said politely.

Kagami grunted and snagged the heavy blade back from the boy's trembling arms, easily swinging the sword up with one hand to rest it on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, looking down at the _much_ shorter boy.

Seriously, it was almost laughable how noticeable their height differences were. While Kagami knew he was tall, Kuroko was short by even regular standards. The top of his head barely reached Kagami's collarbone, leaving him barely taller than a woman, like Aida Riko.

"I couldn't sleep," the young man answered, folding his arms across his chest as he looked up into Kagami's deep red eyes. "But what are _you_ doing here?" he asked in turn.

Kagami let out a small laugh. "I've been anxious all day long, and I really needed to work off some of the stress. I came here to find strong opponents, but so far everyone has been appallingly easy to beat," he said, a frown tugging on his face as he stepped away to set up the dummies again.

Kuroko cocked his head to the side, his expressive blue orbs glinting with curiosity. "If you're looking for strong opponents, why didn't you stay in Ameritas?" he asked.

Kagami paused in his actions and turned to look back at the blue-head. "I'm looking for someone," Kagami replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Kuroko blinked. "That's an odd reason to cross an ocean," he said.

Kagami's frown turned into a scowl. "Someone _close_ to me," he growled.

Kuroko paused, before nodding his head in understanding and looked down at his own feet, feeling slightly awkward for bringing up what was clearly a sore subject.

"I've been feeling kind of anxious myself," Kuroko said, looking off to the side while his eyes took on a glassy appearance. Kagami's scowl softened slightly, reverting back to his normal frown. He said nothing though, instead prompting the other silently with his eyes to continue.

"I lost people too," Kuroko said, looking back up at Kagami. "People who I considered family."

"The Generation of Miracles?" Kagami asked, causing blue eyes to instantly snap onto his own wild red ones. Kuroko's entire aura seemed to sharpen for just a moment, becoming dangerous and wild.

"What do you know of them?" he asked. The red-head just shrugged his shoulders, looking back to the dummies as he slid his sword into his sheathe. "Nothing much. Just that they were really good fighters."

"They were more than that," Kuroko said abruptly. Kagami turned back to the blue-head, one of eyebrows cocked in curiosity. His expression indicated for Kuroko to continue, though, so the blue-head calmed his aura and elaborated.

"We weren't just good fighters; we were the best. No one could beat us. Absolutely no one. We were the integral part of the army of Teiko, the largest Empire in the history of Astra. We were a team, a family once."

The corners of Kuroko's mouth tugged down ever so slightly, revealing the ghost of a frown. "But they changed, became people I never thought they would be. They went their separate ways, and I was left alone."

Kagami scowled at the bluenette. "That sucks," Kagami said indelicately, drawing a startled look from the blue-head.

Taking a few steps towards the other, Kagami's wild red eyes seemed to ignite with an inner fire, and his aura began to thrum and pulse like that of a wild tiger's. "But honestly, that's the best news I've heard since I got here. An entire team of super-strong warriors for me to fight?! I couldn't have asked for a better challenge! There's nothing greater than a strong opponent!"

Kagami grinned, flexing his hands as his eyes got a weird red glow to them, and he started twitching all over. "Oh man, I'm itching for a real fight now!" Kagami cried, drawing his sword to give it a few test-swings.

A small, tiny ghost of a smile appeared on Kuroko's otherwise blank face, and an almost identical fire alit in his brilliant blue eyes.

At that precise moment, Kagami had reminded the ghost of an old friend of his.

"I too have been waiting for fight, Kagami Taiga," Kuroko said, catching the tiger's attention as he removed his outer garments, exposing the various knives and short sword he had strapped to his chest and waist. "So if it's a one-on-one you want, I'd be happy to oblige."

Kagami's grin grew even wider, if that was possible. "OH?"

Kuroko drew a sword from his waist, and Kagami noted with interest that the blade seemed to be painted black, so that it did not reflect any light whatsoever. In fact, he had a hard time seeing it at all in the darkness, forcing him to squint just to make it out.

Still, he relished the challenge.

The sound of scraping metal echoed around the courtyard as Kagami drew his own blade, the incredibly powerful broadsword glinting dangerously in the torchlight.

Raising the sword, Kagami gripped it with both hands and locked eyes with the bluenette, who readied his own weapon in preparation as well.

Neither moved for a moment, and the courtyard went silent.

…

Suddenly, with a snap of movement, Kagami surged forward, swinging his sword down in a furious striking motion.

Kuroko raised his sword to block and…

Dropped it, Kagami's blow having knocked it out of his hand.

Kagami blinked as he watched the blade clatter to the ground, pausing to let the blue-head scramble over to pick it up.

What was that?

A ping of annoyance resonated through Kagami, but he pushed it aside as the boy picked up the blade and turned to face him. Raising the sword, Kuroko took a breath before lunging towards the red-head.

Kagami read the movement, and turned his body to avoid the initial strike just in time to…

Watch Kuroko fall to the ground as he lost his balance.

This happened again.

And again.

And again...

And again...

 _And again...!_

Kagami stopped and stared at Kuroko as the bluenette stumbled backwards yet again, his attack once more rebuffed.

THIS GUY WAS SO BAD IT WAS GOING TO KILL _HIM_ JUST FROM WATCHING!

Snapping his blade up, Kagami disarmed Kuroko, sending the sword spinning over his head to clatter away in the corner of the arena, causing the ghostly boy to go running after it. Kagami face-palmed in disbelief when the boy came trotting back over, holding the sword and looking at him with his unreadable blue eyes.

"Enough," Kagami said, disgust evident in his voice. "I've seen enough," he growled, before turning away to sheath his sword. Stepping over to the bench, Kagami picked up his robe and draped it over himself, blocking out the chilly night air.

"I can't believe you would even dare to challenge me when you're so much weaker than me!" he snarled, looking at the blue-head with an expression of pure outrage. "If there's one thing I hate more than a weakling, it's an overconfident weakling! No wonder I was having trouble sensing you: you're so weak your presence hardly even registers!" he cried.

Kagami turned his back on the boy, breaking eye contact as his hands clenched into fists. "If this is the level the Generation of Miracles are on, then there is no reason for me to be here!" he said, before walking away from the training area. "I have no interest in the weak!"

Kuroko blinked at the larger man's retreating back, his bright blue eyes flashing with disapproval. "Are you really that arrogant? Of course you could beat me!" he said.

Kagami froze in his tracks and glanced back at him, his wide red eyes opened in shocked disbelief.

"Look at me," Kuroko said, spreading his arms to the side to show off his skinny frame. "Did you really think I could pose a challenge for you in a one-on-one?" he asked, his voice dripping with incredulity.

Kagami turned completely to face him, his face screwed up in confusion.

"I'm not like you," Kuroko continued, sheathing his sword and covering himself up with his own robe, pulling the hood over his bright blue hair and diminishing his already lacking presence.

 _"I'm a shadow,"_ he said.

Kagami blinked, and gasped when he saw the empty space where the boy had just been standing.

Kuroko had vanished!

"Good night, Kagami-kun," he heard the bluenette's quiet voice whisper from behind him, sending shivers chasing up Kagami's spine. Footsteps then reached the redhead's ear as the ghost walked away from him, leaving him stunned and wide eyed.

Spinning around, Kagami looked for the retreating boy's form, only to be met with empty air. "What the hell?" he asked aloud, his blood rushing through his veins as he tried to comprehend exactly what had just happened.

As the minutes passed, his heart gradually slowed back down to his normal pace, and a pensive look appeared on his face.

"A shadow?" he asked aloud, staring out into the darkness where the ghost had disappeared.

"Huh."

* * *

 **Yay, it's done! I got another chapter out!**

 **I had initially planned for this to be much longer, but the fight scene that I wanted to write is taking a lot longer than previously predicted. So, here's what I have so far. Second part will be coming shortly; it's mostly written. I hope I got the characters right.**

 **I envisioned Hyuuga as Seirin's primary archer simply because he's always the one to sink the far away threes, just like an archer would. However, he also does fight with a sword, so he's not exclusively long range like Midorima.**

 **More descriptions and interactions coming SOON! YEAH I LOVE THIS STORY!**

 **Now, Review. PLEASE? ('v')**

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	3. Battle!

**Kuroko's Basketball does not belong to me, but Astra does.**

* * *

"Alright everyone!" Riko called out to the recruits, the salty sea wind rustling their hair and sending goosebumps racing along their arms. "We're going to have a mock battle today!" she said, causing everyone in the field to perk up in interest.

"Alright!" Kagami cried, pumping his arm up and down in excitement. Ever since that awkward encounter last night, he had been itching for a realfight.

One with an opponent who could actually fight back.

"Don't celebrate just yet," Riko said, shooting a stern gaze at Kagami's ecstatic form. "We'll be pairing off into two point groups: New Recruits vs. Seirin Point Group!" she cried.

Most of the new recruits cringed. "What?! We have to face the second years?" one of them cried.

"Any complaints?!" Riko called, shooting a death glare in the recruits' direction.

Nothing but silence reached her ears, and after a few moments she relaxed her gaze, a satisfied smirk appearing on her face. "Alright, the battle will commence in fifteen minutes. To ensure that no real injuries are inflicted, please hand over any weapons you wish to use to Izuki, so that he can dull them for you. We don't want to maim you before we get you onto the battlefield," she said, causing many of the recruits to shiver.

Izuki grinned in pleasure.

"I'll be sure to take the **EDGE** off," he said, his black eyes flashing silver for just a moment.

Everyone on the Seirin Point Group sighed and face palmed. "Izuki-kun, you already used an EDGE pun yesterday," Koganei said, exasperation dripping from his voice.

Izuki blinked in surprise. "I did?" he asked, before his smile was back on his face. "Well, then I'll be sure to get with the **TIMES**!"

A tick mark formed on Hyuuga's face. "Izuki, do you want to die an early death?" he asked, notching an arrow to his bow and taking a bead on the raven's head.

Izuki jumped and threw his hands up, a terrified expression flying across his face. "Hyuuga-kun, don't do that! I haven't dulled your arrows yet, they could still hurt me!"

"GOOD!" Hyuuga shouted, a menacing glint appearing in his gray eyes from behind his glasses.

"Enough!" Riko shouted, causing both men to flinch before snapping to attention.

"Izuki!" the Queen said, turning her ferocious gaze on the pun-making raven. "Yes your Grace?" he asked.

Her eyes flashed dangerously, her fiery aura once again flaring. "Get to work!" she replied.

Izuki saluted, before turning to face the new recruits, shivers still racing up and down his body. Taking a moment to compose himself, he put his best winning smile on his face, attempting to ignore the fact that he had almost been skewered by an arrow. "Alright," he called, popping his knuckles in an effort to get them loose. "Come on up with your weapons drawn!"

Not sure what to expect, one of the first years, Furihata Kouki, approached with his sword drawn, his wide brown eyes firmly locked on the raven's form.

"Give it here," Izuki said, holding out his right hand palm up. Furihata hesitantly placed his sword (a well crafted blade with a few runes inscribed into the handle) in the palm of Izuki's hand, whereupon the raven gripped it and swung it up.

"Colois Denefarthem," Izuki whispered, holding two fingers on his left hand up in the air. As soon as the words left his mouth, a green fire erupted on his left hand before contracting to his two fingers.

Furihata yelped and jumped back, staring at the flames as if they were going to eat him. However, Izuki paid them no mind, and in fact did not seem to be bothered by them at all. Instead, he simply ran his glowing green fingers up and down the edge of the blade, temporarily dulling it as he did so.

"You're a wizard?" Furihata asked breathlessly as Izuki handed the sword back to him. The raven smiled before shaking his head. "Nope! I'm amage."

Furihata frowned. "Is there a difference?" he asked, to which Izuki let out a laugh.

"A lot of people get magic-users confused," Izuki said jovially, swinging an arm about the shaky brunette's shoulder. "But really our fields of expertise are all very different," he whispered conspiratorially, before continuing on to elaborate. "Wizards, for instance, use wands constructed from pieces of magical animals and plants to better connect with the magic of Astra. Warlocks use staffs and runes to control the elemental forces of nature. Sorcerers don't use anything except their hands and their own aura, drawing upon their own life force to create magical spells. Mages, such as myself, use ancient words of power to shape and form magical energy any way we wish. And the ever-rare alchemist will use magical plants and herbs to create potions of extreme power that can do all kinds of things, ranging from super strength to enhanced sight, and even accelerated healing!" he explained excitedly.

Furihata blinked in astonishment. "Can you be more than one?" he asked, to which Izuki chuckled. "It's doable, yes, but if you devote yourself to one field, then odds are you will never be able to master any of them. I myself have dabbled in a little bit of Sorcery, but I found the experience far too taxing to truly pursue."

Suddenly, a look of pure delight shot across his face, and he placed a hand over his collarbone and dropped into a sweeping bow. "My name is Izuki Shun, Mage Extraordinaire. Give me a call, and I'll be there in a **SPELL!** "

"IZUKI!" Hyuuga screamed.

*ZWIP!*

Izuki hit the ground as an arrow went flying overhead, barely missing the raven's head and parting his hair.

"I'm sorry Captain!" Izuki cried from his place on the ground, his hands clutched over his head in fear of Hyuuga's wrath. "I'll get back to work!" he whimpered, tears streaming from his eyes.

"You'd better!" Hyuuga warned, fingering another arrow meaningfully.

Izuki gulped.

* * *

Kagami sighed as he swung his broadsword from hand to hand casually, his powerful body easily hoisting the heavy sword as if it were a toothpick. He and four other recruits were facing off against the Seirin Point Group, waiting for Riko's command.

He had volunteered immediately for the position of Power Forward. There was no other place on the team that he could possibly see himself: the Power Forward always saw the most action, and was responsible for pushing the team forward.

It was as if it was made for someone like Kagami.

In the position of Point Guard was the shaky but functional form of Furihata Kouki. His pinprick pupils were constantly looking back and forth, searching for any danger as he gripped the hilt of his own sword tightly.

Two other first years, Kawahara and Fukuda, took up the positions of Shooting Guard and Center. Kawahara casually tested the string of his bow, while Fukuda weighed his axe in his hand, the darkened iron not especially high quality, but still usable at least.

The Small Forward was….

Where was he?

"Kagami-san," a soft voice said from right next to him, causing Kagami to jump a foot in alarm.

"What?!" Kagami spat, clearly unhappy that the smaller male had managed to startle him yet again.

Kuroko looked up at the taller redhead, his cool blue eyes locking with Kagami's own fiery red. "Good luck," he said simply, before walking off and disappearing again.

Kagami snarled.

As if he needed a vote of confidence from that weakling! He should just stay out of his way, if he knows what's good for his sorry little ass!

Gods, that guy just seriously managed to rile him up every time he saw him!

"Alright everyone!" Riko called, garnering everyone's attention as she called out from behind the fence to the stock yards. "The mock fight will begin any second. Remember, your weapons have been dulled, so don't hold back. Also, follow your Point Guard and don't get too cluttered up; when he pulls back, you pull back. Got it?!"

"Yes your Grace!" they all cried.

"Good!"

Riko looked back and forth between the two Point Groups, a small smile on her face. "Ready!"

Everyone tensed, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.

Riko smirked. "GO!"

* * *

"HAAAAAAA!" Kagami roared as he surged forward, sprinting towards their opponents with his broadsword held high. The rest of the recruits were quick to follow, all of them singing their own battle cries as they hoisted their weapons aloft, the bright steel flashing in the sunlight.

Hyuuga smirked. "GET READY!" he cried, drawing his bow back while taking a bead on the charging redhead.

With an exhale, Hyuuga let the arrow fly off from his bow, shooting towards the recruits.

Kagami's wild red eyes shot up as his keen hearing picked up the whistle of the incoming missile, and with surprising agility he leapt to the side, avoiding the projectile and continuing his charge.

With a resounding crash, the two teams clashed against each other, both sides cutting into each other with a hitherto unseen viciousness.

Kagami in particular was incredibly ruthless.

He was initially squared off against Mitobe, the silent giant facing him with a determined expression and a glinting scimitar, which he held tightly in both hands as he prepared to stop Kagami's charge.

The redhead pulled up short as he got closer, instantly stopping his forward momentum and pushing himself into a fighter's stance. Gripping his broadsword tightly with both hands, Kagami's burning red eyes flicked back, forth, up, and down; analyzing Mitobe's defense in under a second. Shifting his center of gravity, Kagami feinted right, causing Mitobe in turn to move to block that side. However, in a split second cutback, Kagami spun his blade overhand and angled a fierce stab straight towards Mitobe's now unprotected left sternum, taking the quiet soldier by surprise and causing him to stumble.

Moving with a swiftness that defied his bulky frame, Kagami instantly closed the distance between the two of them, ramming Mitobe in the shoulder and sending him toppling to the ground.

The rest of the new recruits looked on in awe as Kagami wasted no time in raising his sword, preparing to strike down onto Mitobe's neck, a victorious grin on his face.

Suddenly, a warning crackle alerted him to an incoming projectile, and Kagami leaned back abruptly, just in time to avoid a lightning bolt cast by Izuki.

"Quite a **SHOCKING** display of power you showed us there, Kagami-san," Izuki quipped to a background of his team-mates groans, his hands still outstretched and tingling with electricity. "But you'll have to do better than that if you want to beat us!" he cried.

Kagami smirked, the fire in his eyes growing stronger as he once again hoisted his broadsword in preparation.

"It wouldn't be a fight if there was no challenge!" Kagami growled in return, running towards the mage at full speed. "HAVE AT YOU!"

Izuki's eyes flashed silver for just a moment, before he raised his hand towards Kagami, the air around him beginning to shimmer with magic. "Arcturus Fomidae!" he chanted, before a blast of wind whipped out from his palm.

Kagami's eyes widened as he saw the incoming air, his mind racing as to what to do.

Coming to a swift conclusion, Kagami stopped short and spun his sword around, spearing the blade into the ground and gripping onto it with both hands, lowering his body down to the ground as he did so, so as to make a smaller target.

The tactic worked, and the blast of air only ruffled his clothes before Kagami was back on the charge.

The magic did, however, have an unintended side affect. Mitobe, who had just been in the process of getting back up, was once again knocked back onto his rear, his dark blue eyes flaring in surprise as he was hit by friendly-fire.

"Sorry Mitobe-kun!" Izuki called as he prepared to cast another spell. "Guess I got-"

"Nope! Not letting you make another pun!" Kagami yelled as he swung his sword towards the raven's head, his wild red eyes burning with excitement.

Izuki yelped before jumping to the side, his eyes wide in fear as the razor sharp edge of the blade whistled right by his face, almost splitting his hair.

Suddenly, he wasn't so confident in his dulling enchantments.

"Mara Arcturo!" he cried, and a brief flash of energy passed over his own body, outlining his whole form before disappearing again.

Izuki smirked, before standing up and giving Kagami a superior stare.

Kagami cocked an eyebrow. What was this guy up to? He was just going to give him a free shot.

Well, you know what they say about Mouths and Gift Horses.

Re-angling his sword, Kagami swung the blade in a horizontal sweep, designed to bisect his opponent. The blade swept through the air like a dreadnaught on a warpath, approaching its fleshy, unarmored target with all the speed of a whistling arrow.

Izuki's torso was unarmored, the skin instead covered with his mages robes so as to amplify his spells. Even though the blade had been magically dulled, without armor there was still the chance that Kagami could break bone.

The blade came within an inch of Izuki's torso and…

Ricocheted off of the air as if it had just struck concrete, the air itself seeming to push Kagami's strike back.

The redhead retreated a step, a look of shock and confusion appearing on his face as he stared at the mage, not sure exactly how the raven had managed to repel his attack.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" Izuki asked with a smirk, balling his fists up and launching a punch at Kagami. Letting go of his sword with one hand, Kagami moved to swat the fist aside but was once again shocked when he couldn't make contact with the mage's flesh. He could only grunt and bear it as the magically charged fist slammed into his face, blurring his vision for a second before he snapped back into focus and retreated, putting some distance between himself and the mage.

"I've condensed the air around myself, by the way," Izuki said, his grin spreading wide across his face as he raised his fists up, the air around them wavering like a mirage. "You won't be able to land a blow for a while!" he said, before lunging forward and shooting a jab towards Kagami's face.

Instead of swiping at the fist like his initial instincts demanded he do, Kagami instead ducked underneath the fist and knocked his shoulder against the air surrounding the mage, pushing him back a step in a maneuver similar to the one he had just used on Mitobe. "All the air?" Kagami asked, an idea popping into his head as he righted himself, the grip on his sword loosening ever so slightly.

At Izuki's confused glance, Kagami's smirk returned in full force. "Guess you forgot the air around the mouth!" he yelled, before lunging forward and slamming the pommel of his sword into Izuki's weak point, sending the mage stumbling backwards with a bleeding mouth.

Kagami watched as the magic surrounding Izuki flickered and died, the mage's concentration having been broken by the momentary pain.

The redhead's grin widened.

"YOU'RE MINE!" he roared, swiping his sword at the defenseless mage's head.

* _CLANG!*_

Kagami blinked in shock as another sword seemed to appear out of nowhere, blocking his own sword and halting his strike.

"Don't worry Izuki-kun, we're here for you!" Koganei, the sword's wielder, cried.

'We?' Kagami thought to himself, before a glint of sunlight alerted him at the last second of the incoming scimitar swipe.

Leaping backwards, Kagami just managed to avoid Mitobe's strike, the silent Center having finally managed to get up and rejoin the fight. The redhead barely had any time to comprehend this fact before he was forced to block a quick strike from Koganei, the cat-boy having managed to close the distance between them far faster than Kagami had anticipated.

Working his blade faster than ever before, Kagami held on for dear life as he attempted to fend off both Koganei and Mitobe, the two proving to be a surprisingly effective pair, despite both of their average skills being lower than Kagami's.

Taking another step back, Kagami moved to the side to avoid a downward chop from Mitobe's scimitar, the silver blade whistling as it cleaved through the air.

Kagami smirked. Mitobe had made a mistake! With that downward swipe, he had now overexposed himself, allowing Kagami to see a gap in his guard.

A gap that he would be more than happy to utilize!

Lunging forward, Kagami pivoted his arms so as to ready his sword for a forward stab, before another flash of movement caught his eye.

 **Damn!** He had forgotten about Koganei, and now the cat-boy's sword was on a direct collision course with his now exposed face.

Had he coordinated with Mitobe?

"Got you now, Kagami-san!" Koganei cried, before thrusting his sword forward.

* _CLANG!*_

Kagami gaped in shock as a blur of movement swept between himself and his two opponents, knocking Koganei's strike aside in a flurry on almost imperceptible swipes.

Violent red eyes widened as his gaze finally managed to focus on the blur, the figure's shocking blue hair and strange ethereal daggers glimmering in the sunlight like a mirage.

As Kagami observed him, Kuroko moved with hitherto unseen grace, spinning one of his daggers about in his hand and sheathing it before drawing his short sword, the black blade not reflecting any of the light as his eyes narrowed on the confused form of Mitobe.

Moving faster than arrow, Kuroko shot towards the much taller Center, his form once again blurring as an imperceptible aura surrounded him, almost entirely obscuring him except for his sky blue hair, which was uncovered and fully exposed.

With the precision of a viper, Kuroko struck at Mitobe's weak points, moving faster than the human eye could keep track of and sending the giant to his knees, and all the while his form continued to fade in and out of focus, his body blurry and indistinct.

Kagami's mouth fell open as he stared in shock, his movements stilling as the ghostly boy shifted his attention to Koganei.

Watching Kuroko in action was like watching a ghost dance, his form practically translucent and his ever-swift movements making his actions completely unpredictable. The cat boy didn't stand a chance before his sword was knocked from his hand and a powerful kick was planted to the back of his head, sending him sprawling on the ground.

And then, much like a ghost, Kuroko vanished as quickly as he came, seeming to just disappear as another body (Tsuchida's) stumbled past them.

He was there one minute and then gone the next.

Kagami's mouth opened and closed for a moment, before he a blaze of heat from a fireball motivated him into action. It seemed Izuki was back on his feet!

* * *

Kuroko's eyes gleamed with pale blue fire as he breathed in the euphoria of battle, his blood pumping fast through his veins as the adrenalin rush took over, heightening his senses and filling his limbs with strength. By the GODS he had missed this! The feeling of complete and utter power as he moved gracefully through his opponents' ranks, inflicting damage wherever he went.

Once again, after far too long, he felt like himself: the Phantom Sixth Man of the Generation of Miracles, the assassin that could be surrounded by enemies and never be seen. He was a ghost, a specter, and no one could catch him! He danced before the eyes of gods and men alike, but remained invisible to all.

Such was the power that he wielded!

Sheathing his sword, Kuroko dodged the sprinting form of Furihata as he sprang into a crouch, his gaze sweeping back and forth in search of another victim.

His bright blue eyes locked onto the form of Tsuchida and Fukuda exchanging blows, the recruit parrying blow after blow with his axe's handle. The crackling of wood reached the assassin's highly tuned ears, broadcasting the fact that Fukuda's axe was about to break.

Looks like he was needed.

Sprinting forward, Kuroko drew his two favorite daggers out from his belt, their crystalline blades glowing with a supernatural blue light that seemed to dance off their razor sharp edges. Completely unbreakable and totally translucent, they had been a gift to him from his sensei after his power had been fully unlocked and he had joined the rest of the miracles on the battlefield. He loved them dearly, as they had been handcrafted to match his own fighting style, and the translucent composition of the blades seemed to mimic the crystalline structure of diamonds: very hard to see, but once noticed they took your breath away. Quite often literally.

In fact, knowing his sensei, he wouldn't be surprised if they were made out of diamonds. That would certainly explain the fluidity with which they sliced through almost everything. The toughest armor in the country was no match for their superior edge, and even other weapons became dented and cut if they ever came into contact with his daggers.

That is, if his opponents could even see them. Which they rarely ever did.

As it was, thanks to the dulling enchantments Izuki had enacted the blades didn't stand a chance of breaking skin, which limited his options immensely. As he drew closer to the dueling pair, Kuroko's mind was already racing on the several options he had to shut Tsuchida down.

With a final step, Tsuchida entered into Kuroko's striking distance, and already his hands were in motion, the blades flashing out like a pair of fangs.

Bringing his right blade up, he snagged Tsuchida's sword on the upswing, disarming the gray haired man with a twist of his wrist. Tsuchida's squinty eyes widened in shock as he finally recognized Kuroko, not having seen him approaching thanks to the bluenette's misdirection. Before Tsuchida could even react, Kuroko's other dagger was already in motion, the dulled blade coming up to strike him hard in the jugular, delivering what would have normally been a killing blow. However, Izuki's spell held out, and a dull _*THWAP*_ resounded as Kuroko's blow hit Tsuchida with enough force to physically rip his helmet off. The gray haired man went stumbling back before falling on his rear, his ears ringing and a bruise already forming on his throat from the strike.

Kuroko shot a glance towards Fukuda, who was staring at him in absolute shock, before giving him a nod of encouragement and moving away, once again blending back into the battlefield as his misdirection surrounded him in a light bending aura of natural magic.

Moving quickly, he dove in between bodies and in underneath legs, spreading havoc and confusion everywhere he went, a slightly crazed gleam in his eye as he knocked shields aside, stabbed warriors in the back where chinks in the armor were more prominent, and even slashing at an ankle at one point.

Suddenly, a cry of distress caused his head to snap up, and his eyes landed on the struggling form of one Furihata Kouki, who was on his rear trying to fend off an enraged Captain Hyuuga with just his sword, his shield lying broken a few feet away along with the Captain's bow, which the brunette must have somehow knocked out of his hand.

A flash of pride swept through Kuroko at that. He truly hadn't believed that the shaky brunette could hold his own against someone like Hyuuga.

Said Captain was swinging his short sword again and again at Furihata, who was crawling backwards in an attempt to get away while also fending off the blows, his eyes blown wide in panic while his movements continued to grow more frantic. His arm was growing heavy however, and it wouldn't be too long before the brunette's grip gave out.

Kuroko didn't have much time.

Dashing forward, he vaulted over Furihata's prone body to strike at the Captain, the shooting guard's eyes widening behind his glasses as he took in the blue blur.

However, unlike Tsuchida, his reflexes were far faster, and he raised his sword up just in time to block what should have been a strike to his trachea. Not deterred, Kuroko landed in a crouch and shot both his daggers forward, striking Hyuuga in the kneepads where the armor was weakest.

Hyuuga hissed as the dulled tips of the daggers struck the hardened leather, but he held his ground and didn't buckle. With a growl, he brought his sword down in a vertical strike, aiming for the shadow's exposed head.

Sensing danger, Kuroko crossed his daggers in an attempt to catch the downward strike. His entire form buckled as Hyuuga's sword crashed against them, knocking one of them out of his hand.

Looking up from the ground, Kuroko's bright blue eyes met those of the Captain's, noting the complete and utter confusion combined with determination in the shooting guard's gaze. Again the sword came swinging down, and Kuroko braced himself for another blow that-

Never came.

With a roar of power, a huge broadsword came swinging up, parting Kuroko's hair as it intercepted the downward strike and knocking the Captain off balance.

Raising his head, Kuroko looked on in shock as the hulking form of Kagami Taiga surged past him, his red eyes and hair flashing in the light with all the brilliance and power of the sun. Those eyes shot down towards him for a moment, meeting the shadow's own bewildered gaze.

"Make sure you finish it, idiot!" Kagami screamed, before swinging back to face Hyuuga and slamming his sword into the dazed shooting guard's chest, knocking him onto his back. "If you're going to start something, make sure you have the strength to finish it!" he yelled, before moving away and leaving him behind.

Kuroko looked after the redhead, his mouth open in shock. For a very brief moment, he allowed Kagami's form to change in his mind: the skin darkening, the hair turning blue, and the broadsword replaced by a bastard sword and buckler.

For just a moment, Kagami had acted just like Aomine. "Watch yourself Tetsu!" came the phantom words of his old friend, and a stab of pain flashed through Kuroko's heart.

"Um, Kuroko?" a hesitant voice asked, and the bluenette looked up to see Furihata standing before him. The shaky brunette was offering his hand to the assassin, his lips trembling as he stared down at him. "Do you need help?" he asked.

Erasing the thoughts of his vanished friend from his mind, Kuroko reached up and grabbed on to Furihata's hand, allowing the boy to haul him to his feet. "Thanks," he said quietly, before his eyes were once again drawn to the redhead as he engaged in combat with a by now upright Mitobe.

A smile lifted the corners of his lips, and his eyes softened.

Perhaps he had found a new light after all.

* * *

And so it went for the rest of the battle: Kagami keeping most of the enemy's attention on him with brazen and open movements, while Kuroko blazed through their ranks invisibly, effectively slashing their heels and leaving them with nowhere to go.

The shrill sound of a whistle being blown brought the skirmish to an end, and it was to a chorus of sighs from the second years and recruits alike that they all sheathed their weapons and collapsed to the ground.

Well, almost all of them. Kagami was brooding as he sheathed his broadsword, his eyebrows furrowed into an even deeper scowl than usual as his blood red eyes swept across the battlefield, searching for the assassin.

They stopped when they landed on a familiar mop of sky blue hair, the rest of Kuroko's lithe frame slowly coming into focus afterwards. Kagami watched with entranced incredulity as the bluenette spun his daggers in his hands before sheathing them in their holsters, a single breath escaping his pale pink lips as he sighed in relief.

Looking up, Kuroko's soulful blue eyes met Kagami's from all the way across the field. Kagami gulped as his breath caught in his throat, the piercing gaze from the shadow freezing him in place.

A small smile lifted the corners of Kuroko's mouth, before the assassin turned away as Riko stood up to once again address the recruits.

"Well done," she announced, her grin wide and proud as she stared out at the new soldiers. "Everyone here has earned the right to be here. However, we still have a lot of work to do. Furihata!" she yelled, and the brunette in question looked up from the ground with a yelp. "Yes your Grace?" he asked, his form trembling before the Queen's gaze.

Riko sighed. "That was awful leadership. You were all over the place, your movements were inconsistent, and your execution was sloppy. How are you going to make a proper Point Guard if you can't even master your own footing?" she asked.

Furihata hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry," he whimpered. Riko shook her head, before turning to look at the rest of the recruits. "Kagami, that was amazing work you did!" she said, giving the redhead an appraising look. Kagami nodded in acceptance, the praise expected but not necessary.

"And Kuroko," she said, looking around uncertainly as she tried to locate him. "Yes your Grace?" a quiet voice said from right next to her, causing the Queen to jump in fright. After a brief inhale and exhale, she turned to the assassin with a suspicious look. "That was…intriguing. Thank you," she said, and the bluenette bowed respectfully.

Turning away from him, she looked out across the field and addressed the entire congregation. "I saw a lot of promise from you, but as of right now you are uncoordinated and indecisive. Not to worry, we'll work on that. Just make sure to give it your all and I guarantee, we will be the strongest fighting force in all of Astra!" she yelled, pumping her fist in excitement.

Her enthusiasm was mirrored by all those around her, and eager grins spread across the face of soldier and recruit alike. She was right: they could do this! They can WIN!

Riko smirked, an evil smile spreading across her face. "But, like I said, we still have a lot of work to do. So, with that in mind:"

She paused and extended her index finger, her wicked smile blossoming across her face in full "TWENTY LAPS AROUND THE FIELD! GO! NOW!"

Everyone let out a unanimous groan and hauled themselves to their feet, ignoring their aching muscles in favor of following their Queen's command.

* * *

 **AN: Hey, sorry, this next part was supposed to be in but somehow it slipped out. Sorry, here it is! :')**

* * *

Kagami let out a relieved sigh as he splashed a bucket of water over his head, the cold liquid doing wonders to his sweaty and aching muscles. The sun hung low in the sky, and the rest of the recruits were all packing up similarly to return to the Barracks.

Kagami would not be going there, however. Thanks to the foresight that Alex had possessed, she and Kagami had scraped together what money they could spare and paid for a small apartment for Kagami to stay in once he got here. And sure enough, he had found one: the landlady was old and frail, and sometimes employed Kagami with manual labor, which he happily attended to.

The sound of splashing water and a melodic sigh interrupted him from his musings, and he turned to see Kuroko not three feet from him with a look of bliss on his face as he too dunked himself in the cold water.

"WAA!" Kagami shouted, jumping back from the ghostly boy while Kuroko shot him an annoyed look. "WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!" the redhead shouted, his eyes wide with shock. Kuroko just sighed and turned to face him, his large blue eyes meeting the wild red. "I was here before you, Kagami-kun," he said, exasperation lacing his voice.

Kagami paused as he heard the honorific that slipped out of the bluenette's lips. Kun? At what point did they get close enough for Kuroko to call him "Kagami-kun?"

Kuroko just ignored the redhead as he grabbed a towel from his bag and mopped his hair dry, messing up the bright blue locks so they stuck up crazily in an oddly endearing manner. The bluenette then began to walk away, before a large hand placed upon his shoulder stopped him. "Kuroko…" the redhead began, his tongue suddenly growing heavy in his mouth as he spoke. "That was…"

Kagami gulped, moistening up his suddenly dry mouth. "That was amazing. What you did today," he said, a slight blush coloring the tops of his cheeks. Kuroko slowly turned back to face him, his eyes wide with curiosity. "You think so?" he asked, tilting his head to the side questioningly as he stared unblinkingly up at Kagami.

The redhead looked away from him, unable to meet that soul piercing gaze, especially because of the words he was about to utter. "Absolutely. And I also…"

Kagami seemed to gag on his own tongue for a moment. "I'm sorry," he finally spat, catching the bluenette off guard. "For my words last night. You're not weak. Not even close." He finally finished, his eyebrows drawing down into a scowl.

Kuroko's eyebrow rose slightly as he observed the redhead. Clearly it was a struggle for Kagami to say these words, so he obviously hardly ever apologized.

Suddenly, a light, airy chuckle echoed out across the field, and Kagami's eyes immediately snapped back to the bluenette just in time to see the corners of his lips lift slightly in a small half-smile. "Thank you, Kagami-kun," he said, his head once again tilting to the side as he stared up into the redheads face. "That means a lot."

Kagami just grunted and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess," he said, not entirely comfortable with the shadow's gaze.

Kuroko's smile vanished abruptly as Kagami's stomach let out a rumble, to the further embarrassment of the redhead. "Would you care to join me for dinner?" Kuroko asked, his eyes darting back up to the power forward's face.

Kagami nodded, and Kuroko turned away from him and began to walk towards the town, the redhead trailing after him.

* * *

As they walked, Kagami couldn't help but growl in frustration as his eyes constantly seemed to skip over the bluenette's form, his irritatingly low presence making him difficult to track and hard to follow, which only increased as they entered the city proper and began to pass through large crowds of other people. At one point Kagami actually had to resort to latching his hand on the ghostly boy's shoulder just to ensure that they wouldn't be separated.

"How do you do that?" he finally asked, after losing sight of Kuroko for the umpteenth time. Kuroko looked up at him questioningly, before his eyes took in the redhead's frustrated expression and intensity with which he was staring at him. He let out a chuckle as he turned to continue walking.

"I was born with a rare condition that allowed me to develop naturally occurring camouflage magic," he said as Kagami fell into step beside him, his long strides easily matching Kuroko's moderate pace. "I don't have much control over it, as it's mostly unconscious. The wizard of my village said that it was an innate gift that my family possessed, one handed down by the gods. The magic diminishes my presence, and obscures me from most people's sight. Most of the time if they're not specifically looking for me, people's eyes will just skip over me; and if they do happen to notice me then they'll usually forget almost instantly," he said.

As if proving his point, a man bumped into Kuroko, sending the bluenette stumbling back a step. The man didn't even pause to look down or acknowledge Kuroko at all, but instead kept walking as if nothing had happened.

Kagami's eyes trailed after him in shock, before looking back down at the bluenette, who in turn showed no sign of acknowledging the fact that he had just been bumped. "This, combined with my misdirection, allows me to almost completely disappear on the battlefield," he continued instead, his eyes ranging over the crowd as if looking for something. "Useful for someone with my…"

He paused to consider his words. "Fighting style," he finally settled upon, before moving across the street as his eyes landed on their destination.

"Assassination," Kagami supplied quietly, his eyes narrowing slightly with mistrust. He didn't have very many fond memories of assassins in his experience: most of the stories that Alex and Tatsuya had told him painted them as shady and dirty fighters, plying their trade against respectable and noble men and women.

Kuroko, though, didn't seem to match up with that description.

Kagami paused to look up as they stepped up to a building, the smell of nicely cooking meat and fresh mead meeting his nostrils. Looking up, Kagami read out the neatly written Kanji on the sign above the door. "Maji Tavern," he said, looking down at Kuroko. "You eat here too?" he asked.

Kuroko looked up in surprise. "You've been here before?" he asked. Kagami nodded. "I live not but a few blocks away. This place has the best sandwiches I've ever tasted!" he said, a giddy gleam appearing in his eyes. Kuroko nodded, looking back at the restaurant as the fresh scent of vanilla tickled his senses. "I like their shakes," he said, before stepping through the door, unnoticed by the redhead, who was still staring through the window.

Kagami paused for a second. "Shakes?" he asked rhetorically, before realizing that the space next to him really was empty and that Kuroko had already entered. "Oi! Wait for me, bastard!" he called out, before pushing his way inside as well.

* * *

The inside of the tavern had a nice, cozy feel to it; with a large hearth-fire roaring in the corner, while a bar continuously unloaded beer and mead to the thirsty customers. Several large chested serving girls walked around with platters filled up with drinks and meals, gaining the carnal attention of many of the patrons.

Kagami's blood red eyes swept back and forth across the tavern as he searched for his illusive partner, his imposing form and broadsword also grabbing the attention of many of the more dangerous patrons in the room. Many of the men tensed as his eyes settled upon them, only relaxing once they moved on.

At last, Kagami finally spotted his quarry in the far corner of the room, tucked away at a small table by the window. Letting out a sigh, Kagami made his way over to the blue head and sat down across from him, his large form taking up the whole booth.

Kuroko looked up at him passively, his face once again void of all emotion. Kagami stared back, eyeing the bluenette with interest as he looked deep into those soul piercing blue eyes.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Kagami finally asked, breaking the silence between them.

Kuroko's head tilted to the side as he broke Kagami's gaze, instead looking out the window to admire the sunset as it dipped below a row of houses.

"After I began training with the rest of the Generation of Miracles, it became clear to our sensei that I wouldn't be able to fight like the others. While they excelled in brazen, powerful attacks and movements, my body couldn't even handle the stress of a normal soldier's training regimen." Kuroko said, gesturing to himself in a way that seemed to encompass his whole frame: small stature, lacking muscle definition, frail skin, etc. "So, my master improvised," Kuroko continued, drawing Kagami's attention back to his eyes. "And began teaching me how to use my lack of presence to my advantage. And the best way to do that, he soon discovered, was to train me as an assassin; one that can disguise himself so perfectly that he can move behind enemy lines and never be noticed, causing havoc everywhere he goes," Kuroko finished, looking up at Kagami expectantly.

Kagami snorted. "Didn't seem to do you much good in our one-on-one," he said petulantly, unintentionally goading the bluenette.

Kuroko's eyes narrowed, before he raised his hand up to the light. "Trust me, Kagami-kun, when I am going full out, you will know. Besides…"

Kuroko flexed his wrist back, and from the folds of his sleeve a six inch blade suddenly extended with a sharp _*CLICK-CLACK*_

Kagami let out a yelp of surprise and jumped back reflexively, not even having realized that Kuroko had such a weapon on him. "I was hardly using my full arsenal against you," he finished, a slightly malevolent glint appearing in his eyes.

Kagami gulped.

A moment passed between them before Kuroko relaxed his wrist and retracted the blade, laying his now deceptively innocent hand back down on the table. "And anyway, I didn't want to fight you at all really. I was merely testing you to see how you measured up."

Kagami spluttered, a look of outrage flashing across his face as his cheeks heated up.

THAT LITTLE-

Doubtless, Kagami would have done something incredibly stupid if the waitress hadn't shown up at that specific moment. "May I take your order sir?" she asked, interrupting the stuttering redhead and breaking his train of thought. Kagami shot the bluenette one more irritated glance before redirecting his full attention to the waitress, taking in her very Astrian features. Long, flowing dark hair cascaded down her shoulders, a few stray locks falling over her face to conceal one of her eyes in a way that was achingly familiar to the foreigner. 'She looks so much like Tatsuya,' he thought to himself, before a pang of hunger reminded him of his duty towards his stomach. "I'll have two dozen burgers," he said, drawing a gasp from the waitress and a groan from the bluenette across from him.

"Kagami-kun, that's gross," Kuroko said, drawing a yelp of surprise from the waitress, who hadn't realized Kagami had company.

"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD! I'LL EAT WHAT I WANT!" Kagami shouted at him, fed up with the assassin's snarky comments (at least for now). Kuroko just rolled his eyes and leaned forward, placing his chin in the palms of his hands.

The waitress in the meantime scribbled down Kagami's order, before turning to face his ghostly counterpart. "And for you, sir?" she asked. Kuroko looked up at her with his wide blue eyes, taking in the average blue-gray eyes that met his own. "I'll have a vanilla shake." He said, before sending Kagami a side-long look. A frown marred his features for a moment. "With extra cream," he added, almost as an afterthought.

The waitress nodded and scribbled down the order, before leaving the pair in peace. Kagami stared at Kuroko, who continued to rest his chin in the palm of one of his hands, the other idly playing with the wood of the table.

"What do you mean, 'measuring up'?" Kagami finally asked, drawing a confused look from the bluenette. "You said you were testing me; who were you comparing me too?" he asked.

Kuroko sighed before sitting up, crossing his arms across his chest as he stared into Kagami's wild red eyes. Those eyes held so much fire and energy; it was achingly familiar to the bluenette, but also very different.

Kagami was an enigma to the assassin, just as much as he himself was a mystery to the redhead.

"My old teammates," he finally answered, drawing a surprised look from Kagami.

"The Generation of Miracles?" he asked, to which Kuroko nodded his head silently. Kagami's eyes seemed to ignite, and he leaned forward across the table. "And how did I do?" he asked. "If I were to fight them right now, how would I do? Would I beat them?"

Kuroko's gaze averted from Kagami's as he glanced back down at the table, his teeth worrying his lower lip as he pondered how to phrase his answer. "Honestly, Kagami-kun…" he began, once again looking back up to meet Kagami's gaze. "You would be destroyed." He said flatly.

Kagami's jaw dropped, before his teeth reset into a snarl. However, before he could utter even a single word, he was stopped by a hand gesture from the assassin. "Wait, Kagami-kun. Just listen for a moment," he said, looking up at the redhead pleadingly. "By the time we split up, the Generation of Miracles was strong enough to defeat entire armies by themselves. As it stands right now, any single one of them could annihilate Seirin's entire Point Group, and even I could do very little to stop them."

He leaned forward, his eyes wide and completely honest. "I won't lie, Kagami-kun. You're powerful. You're strong in ways that very few people can possibly match, and you have every right to be proud of that. But as you stand right now, you wouldn't even brush their feet," Kuroko said, his expression earnest but truthful. "They would kill you without any hesitation, as I'm sure they would anyone else. All in all, they are the most dangerous people you will ever meet, and completely out of your league."

Kagami sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, his eyes concealed by the shadows cast by the dying sun. He was silent for several moments, as if processing Kuroko's sentences. 'You would be destroyed,' he thought, the bluenette's words playing over and over again in his head. 'You wouldn't even brush their feet.'

A chuckle escaped his lips, and a smile slowly spread across his face. Leaning forward, Kagami's eyes were finally revealed as the sun dance across his face, highlighting the fire that resided within their blood red depths. "Then that settles it!" he said, raising a clenched fist up in excitement. "I'm going to work as hard as I can, and I'm going to defeat every single one of them and become the greatest warrior in Astra!" he cried.

Suddenly, Kagami leapt out of his chair, his whole form bristling in excitement. "I'm going to DEFEAT THE GENERATION OF MIRACLES!" he yelled, his booming voice echoing out across the Tavern and drawing several glares from nearby patrons.

"I doubt it," Kuroko deadpanned, his voice quiet and reserved in comparison to the Power Forward's outcry. Kagami looked back at him with a snarl on his features. "At least, not on your own," Kuroko continued, before he raised his head to meet Kagami's gaze.

Kagami gasped as he saw an almost identical fire dancing in Kuroko's bright blue eyes, the assassin's features morphing into that of barely contained excitement. "You are a light, Kagami Taiga. A very powerful light, one that I have no doubt will continue to grow in power. And I, as your partner, will be a shadow to your light."

Kuroko leaned forward, the dying sun's rays casting his whole body in shadow while highlighting Kagami's vibrant form. "I will stand by your side and support you, always at your back and forever ready with my blade," he said, a calm, reserved strength resonating in his voice; like that of an iceberg.

"Together, I will make you the greatest warrior in Astra, and together, we will defeat the Generation of Miracles!" he said, his eyes practically glowing with fire.

Kagami grinned, before extending his hand to the shadow. "Promise?" he asked, his voice rumbling with power.

A similar grin spread across Kuroko's own features, and the assassin reached forward, grasping his light's hand in his own. "Promise!" he whispered.

* * *

 **Next chapter will be coming very, very soon. So please, leave a review if you liked this, and I'll see you next time! Peace!**

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	4. Visitors From Kaijo

**Alright, so here's our first real bit of canon divergence. It's not much, but it certainly is a step forward. That being said, a few clarifiers:**

 **1: The Age of Blood- the period referred to in history during which the five corrupt kings ruled over the land, covering everything in darkness and turning the rivers red with the blood of the innocent.**

 **2: The Festival of the Dawn- an annual celebration that signals the beginning of Summer. Supposedly, it falls on the anniversary of when the five mythic warriors overthrew the corrupt kings, and restored order to Astra. Also known as the Festival of the Wolf.**

 **3: Shrieking Eels- see Prince's Bride. Basically that, but bigger.**

 **Also, a few of you may be wondering why I changed the tags to include Haikyuu. Well, during my formulation of the plot, I failed to take into consideration several key factors. So, let's just say that the inclusion of Haikyuu solves almost all of them, and wraps it all up nicely. It's not *just* because I fell in love with Hinata's adorable face (seriously, how can he be that cute? *u*)**

 **If you don't like Haikyuu, don't worry, there won't be that much of them, and they won't appear till next chapter. I'll only be dealing with Kurasuno, Nekoma, and a cameo appearance from Aobajohsai (warning, it has Akashi, so expect blood).**

 **Also, I've changed Aomine's pairing a bit just to better suit the plot. Honestly, I never saw Momoi and Aomine as anything more than really, really close friends. I can maybe see some early romance between them, but they just work so much better as brother and sister than they do as lovers. That and AoSaku is freaking adorable. Don't worry, like Haikyuu it won't be that prevalent. It's not a deal breaker.**

 **So, with that all said and done, let's begin!**

* * *

Kagami let out a belch as they stepped out of the tavern, Kuroko still clutching his vanilla shake while staring in horror at the monster standing next to him. "I can't believe you ate them all," he whispered, taking a reassuring sip from his drink, allowing the cold mixture of milk, cream, and vanilla to soothe his frazzled nerves.

Kagami grinned and stretched his arms above his head. "Well, I have a big appetite," he said with a laugh.

"I think I'm scarred for life." Kuroko said, clutching the shake to his chest as if afraid Kagami would steal it.

Kagami let out a laugh before rolling his eyes. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

"That was murder Kagami…" Kuroko whispered, taking a step back.

Kagami chuckled softly, this time his humor beginning to fail as his grin slowly fell away. "Ok, enough."

"To think of all that meat-"

"OKAY, SERIOSULY! CUT IT OUT!" Kagami yelled.

A sly half-smile lifted the corners of the shadow's lips, and Kagami realized that he had walked right into the bluenette's verbal trap. Apparently, the assassin saw no end of amusement in getting a rise out of Kagami.

Which wasn't exactly the smartest activity to take pleasure in, considering Kagami could probably crush the smaller boy through sheer size alone.

"Bastard…" the redhead rumbled, before moving away from the restaurant and stepping out into the darkened street. All around them the city of Seirin was bathed in light as the magical werelights blossomed into existence within their sconces, burning with all sorts of colors and shades.

Kagami began to move down the street, intending to head to his house, when a thought occurred to him. "Hey," he said, turning around and thanking the gods that Kuroko was still there, rather than the empty air he had been half expecting. "Where are you gonna sleep?" he asked.

Kuroko shrugged his shoulders. "I just got here yesterday, and I haven't had time to find a place to stay."

He turned and glanced down an alley, his eyes landing on the pile of hay he had slept on the night before. He tilted his head thoughtfully, "I suppose I could find a soft place somewhere, and as long as I'm not spotted by the city patrol-"

"I don't think so," Kagami interrupted, and Kuroko snapped his head up to meet blazing red eyes staring down at him.

Kagami was a little surprised at himself, but surges of protective instincts were swelling up within him, memories of all the times that he had had to drag Tatsuya in off the streets after living like dogs for weeks resurfacing. He was not going let a repeat of that happen, especially not now when he had entered into a 'partnership' of sorts with the assassin.

Geeze, just thinking that sentence sent a shiver running up and down Kagami's spine. Seriously, who makes deals with assassins? Crime lords? Dark Wizards? Corrupt Kings? Certainly not lowly warriors like himself.

Still, they had shook hands, and Kuroko didn't look like the type of guy that would go back on his word (frankly, he didn't look like anything, but that was besides the point). So, in a way, his well-being was now Kagami's responsibility.

So where could he sleep that was both affordable and safe?

A beat passed between them as Kuroko stared at the deliberating redhead, confusion marring his elfin features. "Kagami-kun, what are you-" he started to ask, but Kagami suddenly snapped his fingers as a thought occurred to him.

"You can stay at my place," Kagami said abruptly, interrupting the shadow once again. "I'm sure my landlady won't mind. Plus, you're tiny! You'll hardly take up that much room."

Kuroko frowned, a small shot of irritation passing through him at the size comment, before his eyes widened as he comprehended the rest of the redhead's statement. "Kagami-kun, you don't have to…" he started, before trailing off and looking down at the ground, shifting his arms self-consciously under the redhead's gaze. Finally, he looked back up, the lights reflecting off his wide blue eyes as he gazed appreciatively at Kagami. "Thank you," he said, to which Kagami blushed and reached up to scratch his neck in what Kuroko was quickly coming to recognize as a nervous habit.

"Yeah, well, you know, I've had to sleep on the streets before, and I know it sucks, so…" Kagami said, before likewise trailing off and looking down at Kuroko's amused expression. "Shut up you little shit," he said, reaching out a hand to ruffle Kuroko's hair before turning around. "Let's just go," he said, walking away from the diner and leading a highly amused bluenette behind him.

Before long they were at Kagami's building: a two story wooden construct made out of dark wood and a lighter plaster. An arts and crafts shop was located on the first floor, but above it appeared to be what looked like balconies for residents to rest on.

Reaching forward, Kagami rapped on the door three times. "Miss Yamazaki?" he called, his loud voice echoing throughout the street. "I'm back!" he called, before knocking once more on the door, the deep, rolling echoes of the wood more than enough to catch the attention of the landlady.

Sure enough, a light soon appeared in the shop window, and the sound of a latch being lifted preceded the opening of the door as the solid wood planks swung inwards. Kagami blinked as the light from within blinded him for a second, before his deep red eyes adjusted and a smile blossomed on his face.

"Taiga-chan~?" a woman's voice asked, and Kuroko (for once) actually had to look down to see where it was coming from.

Standing before the pair was a tiny old woman holding a lantern in one wrinkled hand, a broad, toothless grin spread across her gentle face as she stared up at Kagami happily from behind an enormous pair of glasses. "You're back!" she cried happily, shuffling forward with one arm extended to embrace the warrior.

A smile blossomed on the redhead's face as he bent down to hug the old woman. Kuroko observed how gentle Kagami's grip was; how he just barely squeezed the woman and made each movement as delicate as possible.

He hadn't realized Kagami was capable of that sort of careful treatment.

"How did the recruitment go~?" Miss Yamazaki asked as the redhead released her, her head tilting back to peer up at the giant.

Kagami smiled down at her. "Great! I made the Point Group, along with my friend Kuroko here!" he said with a smile, patting the bluenette on the head (much to Kuroko's annoyance).

Miss Yamazaki frowned, before looking back and forth in search of Kuroko. "You brought a friend, Taiga-chan? Where is he?" she asked.

"Good evening ma'am" Kuroko finally said, stepping forward and extending his hand. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya."

Miss Yamazaki let out a shriek as Kuroko suddenly 'appeared' in front of her, before grasping her chest and collapsing to the floor, the lantern clanking loudly as it hit the solid wood planks.

Kuroko blinked in surprise, his hand slowly falling back down to his side. "Oh…sorry," he mumbled, before a descending hand smacked him over the head.

"DID YOU JUST GIVE MY LANDLADY A HEART ATTACK!?" Kagami screamed.

* * *

Kuroko awoke to the wonderful smell of sizzling eggs and well cooked bacon wafting into his nose, gently drawing him out of unconsciousness and into the land of the living.

Opening his eyes and sitting up, Kuroko looked around in confusion at the unfamiliar room he now found himself in, before memories of the previous night caught up to him.

Oh right. This is Kagami's spare room.

Looking around at the sparse furniture, Kuroko slung the covers off of his body and swung his legs over the side, jolting slightly when his bare feet touched the cold wood of the floor.

His stomach growled as the heavenly smell of breakfast once again reached his nose, and he hurriedly dressed himself and fixed his atrocious bedhead (which was somehow worse than usual, if you could believe that) before exiting his room and descending the stairs.

He paused briefly when his eyes landed on the unexpected sight of Kagami in an apron, spatula in hand and fussing over a skillet of sizzling bacon. Kuroko looked between the redhead and the food, trying to compare the cook he saw before him to the wild, unrestrained warrior he had seen just the day before.

He shook his head in amazement. Once again, Kagami had managed to surprise him.

Padding over silently, Kuroko peered around the redhead at the crispy strips of meat sizzling in the skillet. "That looks delicious," he said, his tongue unconsciously slipping out to moisten his lips.

"HOLY FU-!" Kagami yelped, the spatula flying out of his hand to crash into the wall as he jumped away from the ghostly bluenette. "WHAT THE HELL MAN?! SERIOUSLY, YOU NEED TO STOP DOING THAT! LIKE, GET A BELL OR SOMETHING, BECAUSE THAT APPEARING/DISSAPEARING TRICK IS NOT FUNNY!" Kagami screamed, his face red with anger.

Kuroko blinked up at the redhead, his face impassive, but still slightly amused by the fact that Kagami had just suggested he wear a bell. "I'm sorry, Kagami-kun. I didn't know it bothered you so much," he said softly, causing the redhead's scowl to deepen even further.

"BOTHER ME?!" he yelled, forcing the bluenette to twitch reflexively. "IT SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME! SERIOUSLY, IT'S JUST CREEPY!"

"I'll try to keep that in mind the next time I greet you, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, before turning away from the redhead and placing himself down at the table, a satisfied half-smirk adorning his lips. Kagami scowled at him again, before turning back to his bacon, which was, in fact, just about done.

"Right. MISS YAMAZAKI?!" Kagami called over his shoulder. "Breakfast is ready!"

Kuroko looked up as the old woman slowly entered the room, her silvery gray hair drawn back into a tight bun and her right hand gripping a gnarled old cane. She paused in the doorway to sniff the air, her cloudy blue eyes instantly alighting with joy. "It smells wonderful, Kagami-san!" she said, before moving over to the table and sitting across from Kuroko.

The blue-head looked at her warily, wondering how exactly to alert her to his presence without inducing another heart attack. After a few moments of deliberation, he carefully extended his hand and rapped it on the table, drawing her gaze to the appendage.

She jumped in surprise, but didn't react nearly as badly as the first time she met him. Slowly, her gaze wandered up the bluenette's form to meet his beautiful sky blue eyes. "Good morning Miss Yamazaki-san," he said, performing a small, polite bow. Miss Yamazaki adjusted her glasses, reassuring herself that the boy before her wasn't some kind of mirage. "Good morning to you too, er…" she said, trailing off slightly as the bluenette's name eluded her failing memory.

"Kuroko Tetsuya," the assassin supplied, his eyes glinting kindly while he folded his hands on the table.

Miss Yamazaki's smile reappeared. "Ah, yes! Taiga-chan's friend!" she crooned, reaching out to pat the boy's delicate hands with her own wrinkled ones. "How did you sleep?" she asked, peering up at him.

"Very well, thank you," Kuroko said, before his attention was once again captured by the redhead as he moved away from the small stove with three plates of breakfast in his hands: a regular portion for Kuroko, a slightly smaller portion for Miss Yamazaki, and a monstrously large portion for himself.

"Kagami-kun, how can you eat so much?" Kuroko asked as the redhead sat down, pausing just for a moment to mumble a hurried blessing before digging into his meal.

"I 'unno," Kagami said around a mouthful of bacon. "Jus' can."

"Well, no matter what, it is delicious!" Miss Yamazaki said after taking a bite of her eggs, her wrinkled face practically sparkling with joy.

Kuroko speared a piece of meat with his fork before raising it to his nose, pondering the succulent aroma wafting off of it.

Long ago, when he was still at Teiko with the rest of the Generation of Miracles, their sensei used to train them by placing paralytic poisons in their food. If they couldn't detect what was poisoned and what was not, they would be frozen in place for hours, or until sensei relented and allowed them to take the antidote.

As a result, the Generation of Miracles (and especially Kuroko due to his already weak stomach) were always wary when taking a meal from which they did not know the origin.

Old habits die hard, after all.

Still, Kuroko couldn't sense any malicious flavors wafting off of the meat, so he tentatively placed it in his mouth and bit down.

Instantly, stars appeared in his eyes, and he proceeded to wolf down almost half his plate with a gusto unbecoming of him. "Where did you learn to cook like this, Kagami-kun?" he asked incredulously after downing another mouthful of eggs with glass of water.

The redhead chuckled before swallowing his own bite. "Alex and Tatsuya were nightmares in the kitchen, so I had to kick them out to protect the food. So I got to be a really good at cooking!" he said, before practically inhaling another egg.

"Alex and Tatsuya?" Kuroko asked curiously.

The redhead swallowed, before turning to face Kuroko again. "They were my adopted mother and brother back in Ameritas," he explained, taking a break for a moment to wipe his mouth with a napkin. "Tatsuya kind of took me under his wing after my parents got killed on a fishing outing, when their boat was attacked by Shrieking eels. And then his own uncle kicked the bucket a few years down the road after being run over by a horse cart. Alex was a warrior who wasn't allowed to fight on the walls anymore, thanks to her crappy eyesight, so she took us in and together we basically built a home for ourselves."

Kagami took another bite, chewing the meat thoroughly. "She's the one who taught me how to fight," he said after swallowing.

Kuroko smiled, before taking another bite. "I remember back in training when Momoi would try to cook food for us. She would practically destroy the kitchen every time she tried to make anything more complicated than a sandwich, so eventually sensei had her permanently banished." he said, chuckling at the memory of the pink haired girl weeping and covered from head to toe with cooking ingredients.

Kagami chuckled, a similar memory of a blond haired woman covered in egg yolk and sprawled across his brother, who was missing half his shirt and covered in flour.

"Ahh, the memories," Kagami sighed, while Kuroko nodded his head in concurrence.

Looking down, the blue-head took one more bite of his meat before pushing the plate away, his small stomach filled to its maximum capacity.

Kagami paused and glanced at him, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "That's it?" he asked.

"That's it." Kuroko responded, wiping his face with a napkin. "Thank you for the meal," he said politely, getting up to deliver a full length bow to the redhead.

Kagami rolled his eyes at the formalness, before inhaling his last egg and standing up as well.

"Sorry to leave you with a mess, Miss Yamazaki, but if we don't leave now Kuroko and I will be late for training," he said, striding over to the door to grab his broadsword from where it rested against the wall. "We'll be back later, so keep the fire going, okay?" he asked.

Miss Yamazaki smiled and nodded, waving goodbye as the two youths opened the door and exited, stepping out into the morning light.

* * *

In the streets of Seirin, crowds of people were flocking to the gates. Children were dragging their mothers, while men of all ages were lining the streets with curious eyes. Chickens clucked, and the birds all squawked and flew about.

The whole city had come to life: for knights from Kaijo were in the city.

A procession of twenty horses strode down the middle of the main street, knights dressed in full regalia resting atop them and riding in single file. Long blue capes flowed off of their gold and silver colored armor, while pennants bearing the Kaijo crest (a golden dog sitting on a field of blue and looking up at a white sky) hung from their lances.

Leading the column was the Captain of the Kaijo Point Group: the Point Guard Kasamatsu Yukio. His dark blue eyes swept back and forth across the crowd, searching for any possible threats to the column. Short black hair rested atop his head, free of any debilitating helm, while an almost permanent scowl was etched across his face. A shield was slung across his back, and the Kasamatsu family sword hung from his hip, the dark black scabbard contrasting sharply with his gleaming armor.

Directly behind him rode a strapping young man with bright blonde hair and stunning golden eyes, a wide, charming smile spread from ear to ear that caused many a lady (and quite a few men) to swoon at the sight. A silver earing hung from his left ear, flashing in the sunlight and complementing his cheery gaze. His face was well crafted, almost to the point of being unreal, while his imposing stature and visible muscles provided an awe-inspiring display.

He was the essence of human perfection, a veritable Golden God amongst clay statues.

Kasamatsu huffed, very tempted to lean back and smack the blonde as he was wont to do. "Will you quit it with that flirting!" he grumbled under his breath, a dark aura flickering to life around him.

The blonde chuckled heartily and flashed another grin at a passing lady, almost causing her to faint. "Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Kasamatsu-senpai! You can't deny the world the gift of my presence!" he called, his happy go lucky attitude setting the Kaijo captain's teeth on edge.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Kise, but the world wants a refund!" Kasamatsu snarled, eliciting another laugh from the blonde.

Kasamatsu silently cursed the day that Kise Ryōta, Small Forward of the previous Teiko Point Group and member of the Generation of Miracles, entered his life. From that moment on, it had been nothing but disrespect, squealing women, high pitched yells, and constant disciplining from dawn till dusk, all day, every day.

Kise seemed to take almost perverse delight in getting a rise out of the irritable raven, making Kasamatsu's life a constant test of his self-control. And to top it all off, the blonde idiot was an incorrigible flirt, and seemed to attract every woman within a one hundred meter radius to him.

Seriously, it was just downright annoying for the disciplined captain, who was used to peace and quiet.

"Ahh, Kasamatsu-senpai is so mean~!" Kise whined.

Kasamatsu could just see the crocodile tears leaking from the blonde's eyes, a sight that would have many an ordinary man falling over themselves with grief.

But Kasamatsu wasn't fooled: deep down, Kise was as heartless as the come.

He was a born and bred killer, and Kasamatsu had watched time and time again as the blonde had almost effortlessly plowed through even the most elite soldiers of the Kaijo guard, as if they were made from loose-leaf parchment. That pretty-boy smile and those gleaming golden eyes were not much more than a front for the blonde to hide behind.

And don't even get Kasamatsu started on the number of weeping women he has left behind after his 'extracurricular activities.'

"Let's just get to the Keep without any incidents, okay?" Kasamatsu grumbled, shooting an irritated look over his shoulder while silently sending a prayer to the gods, begging them to provide him the patience to deal with the blonde menace.

Kise eyed the Captain's bright blue eyes, his golden orbs flashing with an unreadable emotion hidden behind a smiling façade. "Okay…" the blonde sang softly, tilting his head flirtatiously to the side as he did so.

Kasamatsu huffed and turned back to face forwards, his temper once again flaring in anger at the blonde's disrespect.

They continued the rest of their journey in relative silence, until finally they began to approach the Keep.

As they drew nearer to the gates of the massive structure, Kasamatsu reigned his horse in to slow it to a steady walk. His eyes followed several retainers as they came dashing forwards, their hands outstretched to take the leads from the knights.

Kasamatsu smirked thoughtfully, an idea blooming in his head as he drew the horse's reigns in completely, coming to a quick stop.

 _"Company!"_ he called back, instantly drawing his troops' gazes onto himself. _"Dismount!"_ he ordered, and in unison, every member of the Kaijo guard slid off the horse neatly, their armored boots all striking the ground simultaneously with a solid _*WHUMP!*_

Kasamatsu's smirk widened as he read the impressed and slightly nervous glances off of the retainers' faces. 'You should be scared,' he thought with satisfaction. A single glance was all it took to have every single member of the company snapping to attention, their armor glinting proudly in the sunlight.

Such was the deadly efficiency and discipline of the Kaijo elite.

"Form up!" Kasamatsu called, and the knights all clamored into formation behind the Captain, awaiting his words. Kasamatsu watched as the gates to the Keep opening up before them, before stepping forward at a brisk pace, the rest of the column following behind him obediently. As they marched through an inner courtyard, passing by several courtesans who bowed and scraped as they passed, they were led to another set of inner doors, which opened before them to reveal the throne room of Seirin.

Kasamatsu took a moment to admire the interior, slightly impressed at the level of architecture that had been put into the design of the place.

A long red and black-bordered carpet lay before them, stretching ahead twenty meters and leading up the steps to the throne. Surrounding them were pillars and columns, all holding up a high arched ceiling far above them. Draped on the walls were the Seirin banners, all of them bearing their crest: a black dog (almost a wolf) snarling out from a background of red and white, its teeth sharp and bared.

It was similar to Kaijo's own banner, but still different enough that it couldn't be called copying.

On the white marble throne sat the Queen of Seirin herself: Aida Riko, daughter of Aida Kagetora and founder of Seirin. Flanking her on either side were her two most trusted advisors: Hyuuga Junpei, Captain and Shooting Guard of the Seirin Point Group, and Izuki Shun, the chief magic-wielder of Seirin and Point Guard of their Point Group.

All three looked down on the Kaijo soldiers as they approached the throne, before a motion from the Queen had them halting a few feet from the base of the steps.

A herald stepped out from the shadows, a bugle casually tucked under one arm. Thankfully, he didn't play it, but instead opened his mouth.

"Announcing the emissaries from the great city of Kaijo, here under the orders of King Takeuchi of Kaijo, First of his Name, to discuss a possible alliance between our two Kingdoms," he said, his voice echoing around the near silent throne room. With a nod from the Queen, the herald bowed and retreated back into the recesses of the court, disappearing from sight.

Stepping forward, Kasamatsu bent his knee and knelt, lowering his gaze to the ground as he did so. "Your Grace, it is an honor to make your acquaintance," he said, schooling his features into a political neutral. Behind him, the rest of the Kaijo knights knelt as well, their armor scraping against the stone floors of the court.

"The honor is mine, Captain," the Queen said, a smirk evident in her voice. Kasamatsu forced back a scowl.

"You may rise," the Queen said, and Kasamatsu picked himself up, the men behind him following suit. Looking up, Kasamatsu locked gazes with the Queen's large brown eyes, marveling at her youthful features and wondering how someone at her age could become a ruler.

"Your message spoke a peace negotiation," Riko said, her mouth drawing down into the frown. "And yet Kaijo sends an armed squadron of knights to bear this news?" she asked, cocking her head to the side inquisitorially. "Is this some manner of threat, or is your King simply having a laugh at our expense?"

Her frown deepened, and Kasamatsu's gaze flicked to Hyuuga as the other Captain casually placed his hand on the pommel of his sword.

"In the custom of Kaijo, it is common practice for a courtesan to present a sword to the person of interest, rather than flowery songs and foolish overtures. King Takeuchi believed you would prefer this method of negotiation over the honeyed words of some trussed up dignitary. We are very serious in our offerings, your Grace," he said tactfully, sending a warning glare to the other Captain as he did so.

Watch yourself, boy.

The Queen smirked and leaned to the side, relaxing on her throne. "So King Takeuchi wishes to court me, does he?" she asked with a smile.

Everyone in the court twitched nervously, before the Queen let out a bark of laughter and shook her head. "Relax, Captain, I merely jest," she said, causing a tick mark to form on Kasamatsu's forehead. "But you are right," she continued, sitting back up and sending the Point Guard a serious glance. "I do appreciate this method of diplomacy. Now, what do you have in mind?" she asked.

Kasamatsu let out a silent sigh of relief. Now that the tedious introductions were out of the way, the tension in the room visibly lessened, and everyone relaxed just slightly.

Time to get down to business.

"As you are well aware, Seirin is a rapidly growing port city, with large markets in fish and spices," Kasamatsu started out, drawing an even stare from the Queen. "As I'm sure you're also aware, Kaijo is a landlocked city, without even a river to connect us to the Ocean. We get almost 80% of our salt, fish, and spices from trade with coastal cities such as your own," he said. Riko nodded in understanding, silently prompting Kasamatsu to continue.

"What you probably do not know, however, is that almost all of that trade comes from the city of Tōō, which lies several leagues south of here and farther from our borders. As you can imagine, the protection of this trade route is vital to the survival of our city, and thus rather costly."

Kasamatsu frowned at that last bit: it was also a major pain in the ass, as bandit attacks were on the rise recently and other kingdoms were starting to grow bolder and bolder, enticing merchants to come to their own markets instead.

"This would not normally pose an issue," Kasamatsu continued. "Kaijo is a rich and bountiful Kingdom, and has prospered even through the Age of Blood that befell us over a century ago. However, recent events has caused our forces to be stretched thin, and the rising prices of Tōō's market has begun to put serious strain on our economy."

Kasamatsu sent a meaningful look at the Queen. Here was the big offer, the one that would make or break Kaijo.

"Therefore, we would like to broker a new trade agreement with Seirin, dropping much of Tōō's market to instead deal almost exclusively with merchants from Seirin," he said, drawing a shocked gasp from the Queen and several lingering courtesans.

Everyone knew that Kaijo was one of the richest cities in Astra, and had one of the most extensive gold and silver mines for thousands of leagues. Exclusive trade with them would almost certainly send their own economy skyrocketing.

"This would prove to be immensely beneficial to both of our Kingdoms," Kasamatsu continued, noting with satisfaction the gleam of excitement in Riko's eyes. "And would lead to a new level of prosperity for our people, something that is hard to come by in these troubled times," he finished.

The Queen leaned forward, her mouth working up and down in astonishment. She had expected a few overtures, maybe a non-aggression pact, but certainly nothing of this caliber!

If she followed through with this, it would essentially marry the two kingdoms, sealing Seirin's future.

Oh…this was perfect.

"That is…an incredibly generous offer," she stammered out, her mouth drawing up into a hungry grin. A cautionary glance from Izuki had her snapping back in control though, and she hastily wiped the smile off of her face and sat up straight in her throne. "But not something that I can come to an immediate decision on. Obviously I will need some time to deliberate, but you can rest assured that I am incredibly interested in this proposal," she said, trying her best to keep the excitement from leaking into her voice.

Kasamatsu nodded sagely. "I thought you would say that," he said, before taking a tentative step forward. "That is why I have a second offer for you."

The Queen glanced down at him, her excitement rapidly replaced by curiosity. "Oh?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "And that is?"

"Are you familiar with the Festival of the Dawn?" he asked, drawing curious glances from the Queen and her retainers.

Kasamatsu mentally sighed. Of course they didn't, the inexperienced youglings.

"It takes place at the end of every spring, when we celebrate the anniversary of the end to the Age of Blood," he explained, glancing at several of the tapestries meaningfully. "It's also a time when many kingdoms gather together to share their culture, exchange stories, swap news, and forge new friendships and alliances. This year, King Takeuchi would like to invite Seirin to attend, where he can personally discuss the exact workings of such a treaty between our two cities," he finished, drawing another excited look from the Queen.

Kasamatsu frowned and held up a finger. "However, the King does not wish to take this matter lightly, and would like that Seirin bring with them their merchants and tradeable goods, as proof that you will be able to deliver on your end of the bargain."

Riko nodded. "Naturally," she said. _She_ certainly wouldn't trust someone with that kind of responsibility unless she were sure that they could keep it either.

Kasamatsu shot a glance towards Hyuuga, the barest hints of a smirk tracing his lips. "He would also appreciate a test of Seirin's military fortitude as well. After all, if we enter into such an alliance, you would be expected to aid us should we require it, and vice versa."

Kasamatsu scowled. "We certainly wouldn't want to entertain the thought of engaging in an alliance with a city that is all bark and no bite."

A tick mark formed on Hyuuga's face, and his hand flew to his sword, his gray eyes flashing dangerously behind his glasses. "HYUUGA!" Riko snapped, turning her sharp, fiery gaze onto her captain, who instantly froze under the withering glare. "At ease," she commanded, and the Shooting Guard slowly removed his hand from the sword's pommel, his hands balled into fists.

Riko turned her glare towards Kasamatsu, he shivered slightly under its weight. "I can assure you, Kasamatsu-san," she said, her words cold and heavy, like icebergs looming over Kasamatsu's head. "Our military is perfectly capable of matching up to your standards, if not trump them," she said imperiously, raising her head proudly.

Her military had helped construct this city after all. It was nothing to be scoffed at.

Kasamatsu raised his hands appeasingly. "I meant no disrespect," he said quickly. "I only wished to express my concern. But I hardly doubt you will be able to trump our power, however, considering our Power Forward is a member of the Generation of Miracles," he said, a glint appearing in his eyes.

Riko raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh?" she asked, looking up to scan the soldiers behind Kasamatsu. "And where is he?" she asked, a confused frown marring her features.

Kasamatsu frowned as well. Was she blind? How could you miss someone like him?

Turning, he gestured behind him. "Presenting Kise Ryōta, Power Forward of the Kaijo Point…." Kasamatsu trailed off as his blue eyes swept back and forth, searching for the blond. "Kise?" he asked, his frown deepening into a confused scowl as he turned to fully face his men.

The blonde was nowhere to be seen.

Kasamatsu's scowl suddenly disappeared as all the color drained from his face, a look of pure horror replacing it.

'No….He didn't…!' he thought, desperately counting up his soldiers to see if Kise just decided to put his helmet on (an unlikely occurrence at the best of times).

His jaw dropped as he realized they were one man short.

'He did!'

"Oh my gods," Kasamatsu said disbelievingly, his shock slowly dissolving into pure, unadulterated rage.

A dark, fiery aura began to seep off Kasamatsu, and everyone in the court took a cautionary step back. Tick marks began to form all over his head, and his fists started to shake with the force of his wrath.

"KiiiiiiIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE **EEEE!** **"** he bellowed, his aura veritably exploding in flames that had Riko's jaw dropping in awe and jealousy.

Hyuuga and Izuki exchanged a knowing glance, a wave of silent comprehension passing between the two.

Kaijo couldn't keep track of their Miracle, either.

* * *

A brunette man sauntered away from the Keep, a happy grin spread from ear to ear. As he walked, his brown hair slowly morphed back to its natural blond, and his features sharpened to finely crafted edges. Honey-gold eyes peered out through his bangs, while his sensitive ears twitched at the familiar sound of clanging metal, indicating that several people were engaged in practice bouts nearby.

And where there's fighting, there's bound to be a certain sky-blue haired assassin.

"Time to see Kurokocchi again!" Kise remarked happily to himself, before striding away from the Keep, leaving several gob smacked civilians in his wake

* * *

 **Okay, so not a lot of fighting in this chapter, but that's cause I cut the chapter into two and am working on perfecting the second half. This was the much needed plot-progression dialogue, because as wonderful as choreographing a fight scene is to me, it doesn't do a whole lot in moving the story forward. It certainly will later on when we get to the real battles, but for now it will serve as mostly sheer entertainment purposes and to showcase a character's real personality.**

Because despite what they may seem in conversation, once you start to fight, to really, truly fight, all your masks fall away and you are revealed. Case in point: Imoyashi.


	5. An Unfriendly Encounter

**Ahh, finally, another chapter! So, here's the deal: I started to write this chapter, but then realized that it was way too freaking long, so I split it into two and finished up the second half first (like an idiot). So Chapter 6 was ready to go, and I just had to finish Chapter 5. But then, as I was writng the chapter, it dawned on me that again, it was too long, so I split it yet again into two chapters, only this time deciding to finish Chapter 5 first.**

 **So, as it stands, Chapter 5 is complete (obviously) Chapter 6 is halfway done, and Chapter 7 (formerly Chapter 6) is rearing and ready to go.**

 **So sorry for all the delays, but that just means that the chapters will now be coming sooner rather than later. So good new for you then!**

 **I forgot to mention this, but the Kaijo meeting takes place two weeks after the initial formation of the Seirin Honor Guard. AKA: the time when Kuroko slept over at Kagami's house. BTW: they're still living together; Kuroko hasn't gotten the notion to move out yet. And Kagami isn't exactly complaining either. After all, if he's closer, then it's easier to protect his little shadow.**

 **So there has been some time. I'll go back in and add a time break! Sorry for the confusion.**

* * *

Kuroko watched impassively from his position on the fence as Kagami squared his shoulders, his smoldering red eyes locked with the calm, cool and collected gaze of Mitobe, the silent Center gripping his scimitar tightly in a ready position.

They were in the training yards running practice drills, though they were mostly just improvised by Koganei since both the Captain, Vice-captain, and Queen were all tied down in some big political meeting back at the Keep. Kawahara was over at the targets practicing his archery, Furihata and Fukuda were both batting back the 'interactive' sparring dummies (really just bags on pivots that swung when you hit them, loosely imitating a retaliation) and Koganei and Tsuchida were locked in their own duel a little way away.

Kuroko's eyes refocused back on the redhead as his broadsword glinted in the light, almost blinding the assassin for a second before the bluenette blinked and moved slightly to the right.

This would be the third time Kagami would face Mitobe, and so far they had each won one round. This was the tie-breaker.

Kagami shifted his weight slightly, drawing Mitobe's gaze towards his foot for just a moment. That was all the time Kagami needed to spring forward, pivoting in the opposite direction as expected and swinging his broadsword down in an overhead strike.

Mitobe was fast though, and brought his scimitar up just in time to block the heavy strike, the two swords crashing against each other with a satisfying *CLANG!*

Kagami hurriedly continued to press the attack, striking from both the left and the right in rapid succession. Mitobe worked his scimitar franticly, the two handed weapon a blur of silver as it shifted back, forth, back, forth to block the powerful strikes delivered by the Power Forward. Sensing a growing numbness in his left arm, the Center took a step back in an effort to gain some distance, putting him off balance for just a moment.

Kagami's grin widened, before he stepped forward to deliver another strike from the right. Mitobe again shifted to a blocking stance, just like he had before, only this time he was slightly slower due to his awkward footing. He would still make it in time though, provided Kagami didn't do anything different.

However, something different is exactly what Kagami did. In a stunning show of speed and balance, the Power Forward shifted his grip on the sword and reversed its direction, spinning it around in his hand to strike Mitobe in his unprotected left knee. Thanks to the padding on both the sword and Mitobe's leg, the blade did not cut through the skin; however, it did send the surprised Center toppling to the ground as his legs were swept out from under him, a nasty bruise sure to follow at the point of contact.

The silent center scrambled to get back up before freezing as the tip of Kagami's sword came to rest beneath his chin, the sharp point digging ever so slightly into the sensitive skin on his throat. Kagami held the point there for just a moment, before removing it and good naturedly offering the other a hand up.

"Thanks, Mitobe!" he said with a grin as the Center accepted the gesture, allowing Kagami to haul him to his feet. "You're the only guy here who can really keep up with me!" the redhead said with enthusiasm.

"…" Mitobe replied, a calm smile on his face as he sheathed his scimitar, the curved blade sliding into its scabbard on his back.

"Wow! Kagami-chan is really something else!" Koganei cried from across the pitch, a wide smile on his cat-like face while his sparring partner Tsuchida applauded behind him.

"Yeah! I've never seen anyone taken down that quickly before!" Kawahara added, a smile lifting his lips as he turned away from the archery target.

"With that kind of power, we'll win for sure!" Furihata called out as he sheathed his own sword, the practice dummy he had been testing himself on reduced to nothing but splinters of wood.

"That was impressive, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said.

"AHHH!"

The entire teamed jumped in surprise as the assassin spoke up, apparently having forgotten he was still present.

"You're beginning to show real promise," Kuroko continued, hopping off the fence and trotting up to Kagami. "But we still have a lot of work to do if we're going to be able to face one of my old teammates," he finished, stopping before the redhead and looking up at him with his typical passive expression.

"Try practicing your strikes with me as your opponent, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said, drawing a quizzical look from the other as he weighed his sword in hand. "I'll use my misdirection to provide a difficult target. Hopefully that would help increase your accuracy," Kuroko said, stepping back a few paces with a determined glint in his eyes.

Comprehension dawned on Kagami, before his own red eyes ignited with excitement. "Alright, sounds great!" he said as he nodded enthusiastically, eyeing his shadow up and down.

Kuroko nodded in return, before the assassin flexed his hands, his form becoming blurry and indistinct as his misdirection clouded over him. Raising his sword, Kagami prepared to strike at the bluenette, his eyes narrowing as he tried to keep his diminuitive shadow in focus.

Before he could launch a single strike, however, the distant sound of squealing broke his concentration. Kagami paused as the curious sound reached his ear, and he looked away from the blurry assassin to see where it was coming from. "What the hell…?" he mumbled, his mouth drawing down into a frowned.

Kuroko was perplexed as well, his misdirection cutting out as he cocked his head to the side in confusion. Where was that coming from? It almost sounded like girls reacting when they saw something cute or…

…Oh…

Memories of similar sounding shrieks and squeals suddenly exploded in Kuroko's mind, echoing back from his days in Teiko.

"No…it can't be," he whispered, his head swiveling in the direction of the screams. "He can't be here, can he…?" he asked.

His sky blue eyes widened in shock as his gaze landed on a head of bright blond hair approaching them, surrounded by several furiously blushing young women.

"Kise?!" he yelped incredulously, his voice carrying across the field while his mouth fell open in shock.

At the sound of his name, golden eyes perked up and glanced around, flashing when they landed on the assassin's slender form. The blonde's smile instantly grew wider, appearing to be more genuine than faked. "KUROKOCCHI!" the blonde shrieked in excitement, breaking out of the ring of women to sprint towards the bluenette.

Kuroko flinched, recognizing Kise's signature approach: The Running Pounce. Gods know how many times he's been on the receiving end of thatparticularly devastating attack!

Sure enough, the assassin took a reflexive step back as the blond flung himself through the air towards him.

However, Kise really should have considered his approach tactic more carefully. Or at least paused to consider who, exactly, he was flinging himself at. You see, the Running Pounce only worked as a surprise attack, and at all other times it was virtually useless thanks to the elusive nature of its normal target.

Sure enough, in the blink of an eye the shadow vanished, leaving Kise to grab uselessly at the empty space where he used to be before smashing face first into the ground. A cloud of dirt and turf flew up around the downed Power Forward, and Kise lay on the grass for a moment, cursing the fact that gravity had once again bested him.

Everyone stared in shock at the blonde, their mouths hanging ajar as they recognized the colorful hair style and Kaijo armor, indicating that this man was indeed the famed Kise Ryōta of the Generation of Miracles. Furihata let out a small whimper of fear before ducking behind Kagami, using the redhead as a shield. A few meters away Koganei did the same with Mitobe, the cat-boy peering around the silent Center's form with his mouth parted in shock.

"Kuuuuroookoooochii….~" Kise whined as he slowly sat up, brushing the dirt off of his armor dejectedly. "That was so mean! Why do you never let me hug you?" he asked, looking up and glancing around with his best puppy eyes, searching for the elusive bluenette.

"Because every single one of your 'hugs' has the potential to kill me, Kise-kun," Kuroko deadpanned, his form popping into existence a few feet to the left of where Kise sat. The blond jerked in surprise before letting out an excited squeal, fixing the assassin with a tearful gaze.

"But Kurokocchi!~" Kise pouted. "I've missed you! You didn't tell me where you were going when we split up, so I couldn't follow you! And then when I went looking for you, I couldn't find you anywhere! SO MEAN!~" he whined, crocodile tears leaking from his eyes.

Leaping up, Kise once again lunged at the bluenette. Kuroko wasn't fast enough to avoid him this time, and the blond managed to latch his arms around the smaller boy's form, dragging him close and rubbing his damp cheek against the assassin's sky blue hair affectionately.

If you squinted your eyes, you could probably see a wagging tail and floppy dog ears protruding from the blonde's body.

'Damn it you golden retriever puppy!' Kuroko thought as he managed to push Kise away, his hair mussed up on one side thanks to the blonde's aggressive cuddling. Kuroko attempted to bat it back down (to no avail) before fixing the blonde with an annoyed glare.

"How did you find me, anyway?" Kuroko asked after a moment, tilting his head to the side in an inquisitive gesture (eliciting a quiet squeal from the blonde at the cute gesture).

Kise's grin widened, becoming slightly feral. "I heard several rumors of a 'ghost' haunting the paths around this area," Kise said, bending down slightly to peer excitedly at Kuroko. "After stringing all the 'Kurokocchi sightings' together in chronological order, I was able to figure out where you were going!"

Kuroko rolled his eyes. Of course, the blonde idiot also happened to be a grade-A stalker as well.

The blonde paused and stood up to his full height, his expression morphing back into a pout. "But by the time I figured it out, I had already signed up for the Kaijo military," he grumbled, scratching the back of his head in annoyance. His frown deepened into a scowl. "And Kasamatsucchi wouldn't let me leave to come visit you!" he finished with a growl.

Kuroko's eyes widened. Kasamatsu-cchi? Wouldn't let Kise leave? That didn't make sense.

The last time Kuroko had seen him, Kise wouldn't have taken orders from anybody (accepting of course Akashi and Sensei) and would actually attack anyone who tried to do so. Usually rather violently.

They had once had to physically drag him off a member of the Teiko Honor Guard: an intelligent (some might even say *genius*) backup Point Guard named Kageyama Tobio. Apparently, the raven had had the gall to yell at Kise during a practice bout, and the blonde had nearly strangled him to death as a result of it.

Kuroko had apologized profusely on his friend's behalf, but Kageyama hadn't been the same since. And then, not but a week after the incident, Kageyama and several other members of the Honor Guard deserted from the army entirely, disappearing off into the wildlands.

It didn't matter of course. With the overwhelming strength of the Generation of Miracles, their absence was hardly missed. They still suffered an increase in casualties, though; Kageyama had been effective at organizing the Honor Guard, after all.

Kuroko could only hope that they had all found safe places to hunker down in before Teiko got ripped apart.

"So when I heard that they were sending a political party to Seirin, I just had to come along!" Kise finished brightly, reaching out to try to hug Kuroko again.

Suddenly, a whistling sound reached his ears, and Kise leapt backwards just in time to avoid the downward swing of a massive broadsword, which cleaved through the air right where he had been standing before sinking into the ground, the force of the strike powerful enough to smash apart a few rocks that had gotten in the way.

Everyone looked on in shock as Kagami dislodged the broadsword from the dirt and hoisted it back onto his shoulder, as if the massive sword weighed nothing more than a toothpick to him. A cocky smirk was plastered across his face, but his eyes spoke a different story as they met Kise's shocked expression. They were filled with contempt and malice, boiling and swirling like twin pools of blood in a witch's cauldron.

"Sorry, but you looked a little too comfortable hanging off of my partner there," Kagami said, throwing an arm around Kuroko's smaller frame and drawing the bluenette tight into his side. "So I thought I might as well take the time to see if you were as fast as they say."

Kuroko squirmed for a moment, a little irritated at being manhandled by the larger man, before he realized that Kagami was tightening his grip and pulling him away from Kise as much as he could without it seeming obvious.

That was strange: Kagami wouldn't react like this unless something was off or there was a threat nearby. And the only threat present was Kise.

Kagami still had fairly reliable instincts though, so Kuroko decided to relax into his hold, his small form melding with Kagami's chest.

Kise paused, a confused and slightly irritated frown marring his face. "What's this, Kurokocchi?" he asked, before a spark of comprehension lit up inside of him and he shot the bluenette a sly grin. "Have you found yourself a new light?" he purred.

Kuroko blanched, recognizing the fangs behind the words, but Kagami paid it no heed; either too dense to recognize the threat or too confident (read: stupid) to care. The redhead smiled back at the blonde, leaning forward challengingly. "And if he has?" he asked, mentally making a note to ask Kuroko about what Kise meant by 'new' light.

Kise smirked, an ominously dark shadow passing behind his eyes. "Then I'd have to greet him, wouldn't I?" he asked. "Hi. I'm Kise Ryōta! Who the fuck are you?!" he asked, practically barking the words out between clenched teeth.

Kagami chuckled good naturedly, but his eyes flashed dangerously in the sunlight as well, leveling a nonverbal threat at the blonde to back off. "I'm Kagami Taiga, that's who the fuck I am. Got a problem with that?" he asked, casually flexing his grip on the handle of his sword.

"Not at all!" Kise said cheerily, his stance indicating that he had acknowledged Kagami's threat, but was choosing to ignore it. "In fact, I was watching you for a little while!" he continued, his own golden eyes flashing with a threat as well.

The message: Don't get cocky with me, runt.

Everyone took a step back as they felt the tension between the two aces thicken, their red and gold auras leaking off their bodies menacingly. They looked for all the world like a gigantic dog and a tiger growling at each other, with Kuroko being the proverbial bone in the equation.

"Oh yeah?" Kagami asked, tilting his head to the side. "And what did you think?"

"Hmmm~" Kise mock-considered, placing a hand to his chin. His eyes never left those of Kagami's though, and his smile widened even further, becoming less of a friendly gesture and more Kise baring his (surprisingly sharp) teeth. "It was mediocre at best," he finally said.

Kagami's grin also turned feral, baring his teeth right back at the blonde. "Oh, is that so?" he asked, his grip on the handle of his broadsword tightening till his knuckles turned white. "Think you can do any better?" he challenged, his voice dropping lower in his first open threat.

Kuroko's eyes widened even further and he began to needle Kagami in the side, trying to warn him away from his course of action. However, a reply from Kise had him freezing in his attempt.

"Sure!" the blonde barked, his grin finally dipping into a full blown snarl.

"Alright then!" Kagami said happily as he released Kuroko, nudging the bluenette away from him while he hefted the broadsword off his shoulder and snapped it down into a ready stance, his eyes blazing with intensity.

Kuroko took a few steps back, his sky blue eyes drifting worriedly between the tiger and the dog, his face remaining otherwise impassive. He did NOT like the way things were heading.

Kise smirked, rolling his head around and flexing his arms to loosen them up. The Miracle then gripped the handle of his sword, and drew it from its scabbard.

Rather than the normal *SHLINK* that would accompany such a sound, Kise's blade instead seemed to flow out of the scabbard, moving like liquid cascading down a waterfall. The slippery, fluid-like metal shimmered golden in the sunlight, momentarily blinding everyone on the field, before a flick of the blonde's wrist had the blade solidifying into a broadsword, one practically identical to Kagami's own weapon. Blue eyes widened while red ones narrowed, both the shadow and the light quietly acknowledging this fact, the assassin in particular beginning to feel rather uneasy.

Kise never adopted an opponent's weapon right off the bat. Normally, he would wait a bit and observe the situation, then spring the copy as a surprise. For him to do otherwise indicated either a planned trick, or just extreme confidence in his abilities.

Regardless of whichever was the case, it certainly did not bode well.

The blonde fighter took a moment to scrutinize Kagami's stance, before shifting himself into a matching position, mirroring the redhead's perfectly.

Kagami frowned, an eerie feeling gripping his chest as he eyed the blonde's stance. He shrugged it off though, and instead shifted his foot slightly to the right. Golden eyes flicked down at the movement, momentarily breaking eye contact with Kagami, and that was all the redhead needed to strike.

Stepping forward, Kagami swung his sword down at the blonde's head, aiming for his neck. Kise reacted equally fast, drawing up his own sword to parry the blow with a resounding *CLANG! *

And with that, the two began to rip into each other, their forms blurring back and forth across the field. Sparks flashed as Kagami's swords collided with Kise's, the blonde moving swiftly to expertly counter the blow, forcing the redhead to take a step back.

Again and again they clashed, until finally Kagami was forced to take another step back, Kise's golden blade flashing just inches from his eyes.

Kise snarled in victory, and taking a step forward, he began to hammer away at Kagami's guard with overhead strikes, forcing the redhead to retreat. Again and again Kise's blade fell, striking furiously at the heavy steel of Kagami's broadsword in a cacophony of metal.

Raising his sword for yet another strike, Kise eyed Kagami's form, watching as it twisted to the side to angle for a corresponding block.

Waiting for just the right time for it.

Waiting…

Waiting….

THERE!

In the few milliseconds in which Kise's blade was paused at the top of its arch, the Miracle's form began to ripple: his arms thickened, the muscles hardening ever so slightly, and his golden eyes flicked red for just a moment. His platinum blond hair suddenly grew dark red tips, as if he had dyed it with red highlights.

Halting his swing, Kise reversed the direction of his blow, angling it towards the opposite side instead and catching Kagami completely off guard.

Still, the redhead's superb reflexes allowed him to twist ever so slightly, drawing the handle of his broadsword back in an effort to deflect the blade. Kise's blow was far too powerful for this meager defense however, and the force of his strike ripped straight through it.

The blonde twisted the blade and, in an eerily familiar maneuver, hooked it underneath Kagami's left knee, sweeping his legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground.

Kagami let out a surprised gasp as his rear end hit the sod, his eyes widened in shock.

…

That was…his maneuver!

Those were his movements!

Kise had copied them perfectly, right down to the slightest of inflections. Even more so, that strength! That speed! It had been exactly matched to his! He had even changed his body's proportions to match the redhead's, all in the span of an instant!

And Kagami had been powerless to stop him.

Red eyes snapped up to meet gold ones as Kise tapped the blade of his sword beneath Kagami's chin, before the blonde retreated a step, looking away from Kagami as if dismissing him from his mind.

The redhead was no longer a threat. Nothing to be feared…or respected. Or even acknowledged.

Everyone on the pitch took a step back, warily eyeing the darkened aura that was pouring off of Kise, the blonde's muscular form shifting back to its initial proportions, the red highlights vanishing from his golden hair.

Dark, dangerous golden eyes snapped to the side, colliding with those of sky blue. Kuroko flinched at the malevolent glint contained within them, his hands instinctively flying to his daggers.

Kise frowned at the movement, before sheathing his sword and sending one last disapproving glance at Kagami. "Your new light is far too dim, Kurokocchi," he said, turning away from the redhead and fixing his full attention on the assassin, who stiffened under his gaze. "You're never going to be able to get anywhere using him."

Kise moved closer to the assassin, each passing second only increasing his resemblance to a wolf rather than a dog.

No…not a wolf. He was still a dog, but he seemed…wilder. More feral. Rabid!

A Mad Dog. Yes, that seemed to be an accurate representation of Kise.

Kuroko stiffened, unsheathing his daggers slightly before freezing at a growl from Kise.

The blonde halted before the bluenette, his golden eyes peering down at Kuroko with a dark, hungry gaze that could almost be misinterpreted as lecherous. Unclenching his fist, Kise reached a gauntleted hand forward, offering it to the assassin. "Come back with me to Kaijo, Kurokocchi!" he said, the brightness of his voice not syncing at all with his expression. "Let me be your light instead! You know I've admired the way you fight, ever since that skirmish all those years ago. Work with me, and together we can be the greatest team this country has ever seen! Not even Akashicchiwould be able to stand up to us!"

Kuroko slowly sheathed his daggers, his expression shifting back to its default neutral, not betraying any of the assassin's inner thoughts. His blue eyes flicked from Kise's hand to Kagami's downed form, the redhead having twisted his head so as to stare at Kuroko.

Sky blue orbs flicked back up to meet golden ones, the shadow's piercing stare reading the darkness swirling within the blonde's gaze for what it was.

Kise was sick. He was tainted with the same darkness that had shattered the rest of the Generation of Miracles, and driven all of them apart.

Kise could never be his light. Not in a million years. Not like this.

Kuroko gave a miniscule shake of his head. "No, Kise," the shadow responded, levelling the copycat with a chilling glare. "I will not be joining you."

Kise's eyes flashed with confusion, his entire form seeming to stiffen for a split second before relaxing again. The corners of his mouth tugged down into a frown, while his teeth ground against each other in frustration.

"Why not?" he barked, spreading his arms out in exasperation. "Why would you stay here Kurokocchi? I mean, they're weak!" the blonde spat, casting a dismissive glare to the rest of Seirin's point group, while they in turn bristled with silent anger.

"You won't- no…can't **win** with them, Kurokocchi! And isn't that what's most important?! To win!" the blonde asked. Veritably frothing at the mouth by this point, the blonde Miracle's golden aura flashed dangerously across his skin, highlighting his lithe and deadly form. The bluenette did not waver however, and continued to glare at the mad dog with cold disapproval.

Behind Kise, Kagami finally picked himself up off the ground, his tanned features hardened into a determined expression. Blood red eyes met sky blue, bolstering the shadow's resolve with his own.

Kagami had his back.

"You're wrong, Kise-kun." The assassin finally said, his own aura beginning to flare as well, shrouding him with camouflaging magic and making it nigh on impossible to pinpoint his exact position. This created the startling illusion that the assassin's voice was emanating from thin air, something that was incredibly off-putting for the blonde.

The only thing that remained visible was Kuroko's burning sky-blue eyes, which stared at Kise with all the anger and force of twin chips of ice.

"They're not weak, and I can win with them. I made a promise to Kagami-kun, to EVERYONE here, that I would help them defeat you! You, and the rest of our old teammates," he said. His presence seemed to press forward, forcing Kise to take a cautionary step back in an effort to maintain his safety.

"And besides," Kuroko finished, his blue eyes boring a hole in Kise's skull. "I would rather fight and die with people who believe in me than win with someone who I can't even recognize!"

Kise stumbled back, the bluenette's words striking him like a slap to the face. His face was discolored with shock, the menacing gleam in his eyes now dissipating completely. Kurokocchi had never done this to him; had never threatened him in such a way.

He had seen these eyes before, but only when they were focused on the enemy. On people who were trying to hurt his family. Never on him.

"Kurokocchi, what do you-"

"I don't know who you are, Kise." Kuroko interrupted, his cold voice cleaving through the blonde's words like a dagger through water. "Not anymore."

The blonde took a few more steps back, his head reeling in confusion. What did he mean? What did Kurokocchi mean?

Didn't know him? He's Kise! KISE! HOW COULD HE SAY THAT?!

The blonde lowered his head, his hair falling down to cover his eyes. His hands slowly tightened into fists, the gauntlets covering his hands rattling under the pressure of his strength. "Kurokocchi, I…"

Suddenly, a noise reached the blonde's sensitive ear: a far off call that sounded ominously familiar and rapidly growing louder.

Kuroko blinked as the sound reached his ear too, his head cocking to the side in confusion.

"What's…" Koganei began, his cat-like mouth drawn down into a confused frown; before finally the sound resolved itself into a clear syllable:

"-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS **SSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!** **"**

Kise twisted his head, his eyes widening in horror as he spied his oncoming death: a gold and blue clad raven sprinting towards him, his mouth open in a scream and his blue eyes blazing.

"Ka-Kasamatsu-senpai…?" Kise had just enough time to ask, before the approaching raven launched himself through the air like a ballistic missile and delivered a flying double kick directly to the blonde's beautiful face.

 ***POW***

 ***CRASH***

The blonde let out a shriek as the raven's momentum sent him crashing to the ground and skidding for several meters, creating a small trench in the turf. "KISE YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Kasamatsu roared, lifting his foot to slam it back down on Kise's face, eliciting yet another screech from the blonde, who's metaphorical tail was now firmly tucked between his legs.

Kuroko (and the rest of the Seirin Point Group) looked on in shock as the Kaijo Captain continued to wale on Kise, striking him again and again until the blonde was simply unleashing one long protracted scream.

"You embarrassed me in front of the entire Seirin Court! You straight up abandoned your post, despite direct orders not to, AND ALMOST STARTED WAR AS A RESULT! I'M. GOING. TO. KICK. YOU. UNTIL. THE. MEMORY. OF. YOUR. MOTHER'S. FACE. IS. REPLACED. BY. THE. IMPRESSION. OF. !" Kasamatsu yelled, punctuating each of his sentences with a kick to a different part of Kise's body.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABUTYOU'REALREADYKICKINGMESENPAIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Kise shrieked, rolling around on the ground in an attempt to get away from his captain's assault.

Kuroko's eyes narrowed as he glimpsed the ghost of a smile on Kise's face, before the blonde successfully managed to snag Kasamatsu's boot with his hand and push the vengeful raven away from him.

Kise immediately scrambled to his feet, dashing towards the bluenette with all the force and intensity of a speeding arrow. The assassin's eyes widened in surprise, before Kise was sprinting past him, a hurried, "Bye-Kurokocchi-it-was-great-to-see-you-hopefully-I'll-see-you-again-if-I-don't-die!" escaping his lips before he was legging it away from them as fast as he could, the dark haired raven hot on his heels and shrieking threats that would have Akashi clapping in admiration.

Kuroko blinked, completely flabbergasted at the suddenness of Kise's departure. He had the sneaking suspicion that they had just caught a glimpse into Kise's everyday life back at Kaijo, which was astonishing in and of itself.

Just who was this 'Kasamatsu-senpai' that Kise allowed to touch him so? Every single one of those blows was avoidable, as both he and Kuroko himself had trained under far worse conditions. Sensei had hit them much harder and far faster, after all.

"Huh," Kagami said from beside him, rubbing the back of his head in curiosity as his eyes trailed after the disappearing specks of gold and black as the two disappeared back into the castle. "That was…strange. Any idea what any of that meant, Kuroko?" he asked, glancing down at his shadow questioningly.

Kuroko shook his head, turning to fix Kagami with a glance that was just as confused the redhead's own. "I have no idea, Kagami-kun," he answered, turning his head to stare at the retreating pair as well.

"No idea whatsoever."

* * *

 ***Earlier That Day, Approximately 200 Miles to The East and Slightly to The North***

* * *

Dawn broke out upon the horizon, bathing the cityscape of Karasuno in a golden-orange hue. Several crows flew up out of the bell tower as its rolling notes tolled out over the city, indicating it was six o'clock in the morning.

As per usual, the gates of Karasuno slowly creaked open, once again freeing the city up to anyone who wished to enter or leave.

And just like normal, the people residing on the hillsides surrounding the city got the real wake-up call in the form of high pitched screaming as two solitary figures sprinted out from the gates, one short with bright orange hair, the other tall and adorned with hair as black as a raven's feather. Both were screaming as loud as they possibly could as they competed with each other to be the first to completely circumvent the city three times.

They had done this every morning for the past four months, despite numerous complaints and pleadings to quit. And all the while they never once stopped screaming at each other, both too stupid to realize that if they focused more on running than on yelling, then they could actually beat the other.

Atop the gates, one of the guards leaned over and scratched the back of his head. "Ya know, it just doesn't seem all that smart to go about yellin' like that if you're tryin' to run at the same time!" he said to his friend, who just rolled his eyes in answer. "If they were smart, then they wouldn't be down there at all, running around like maniacs just waiting to get a sword stuck through them. Instead, they good be off patrolling the streets or sitting behind a nice desk counting coins. But they're not smart, and that's why they're on the Point Group and not up here on the walls like us," he said.

His partner nodded, before turning away from the screaming pair and making his way over to the trapdoor leading down back down to the street below. "Wanna go grab a beer before the rest of the crazies show up?" he asked.

The other sent one last glance over the side of the wall, before letting out a yawn and nodding. "Damn right I do," he said, before moving over to the trapdoor and slipping through after his friend.

And with that, the trapdoor fell closed, its loud *THUMP* signaling the start of a new day in Karasuno.

Shine on you crazy fucking crows, shine the fuck on!

* * *

 **Phew! Getting Kise's personality right was really hard! See, he can be genuinely colorful and playful at times, but deadly serious and conniving at others while still appearing to be the sweet and friendly cinnamon roll he pretends to be. And thus, it was very difficult to write him as a mix of cheerful puppy and deadly warrior, but I think the result is exactly what I wanted: a mad dog.**

 **By the way, in case you haven't noticed I've taken to likening the GOM to certain animals that I feel they represent, so let me state for the record what I believe those animals to be:**

 **Kise: Dog (Golden Retriever)**  
 **Kuroko: Dog (Miniature Husky)**  
 **Aomine: Black Panther**  
 **Midorima: Eagle**  
 **Murasakibara: Polar Bear**  
 **Akashi: 1.) Lion (Oreshi) 2.) King Cobra (Bokushi)**

 **Also, here are a few bonus animals:**

 **Kagami: Bengal Tiger**  
 **Haizaki: Coyote/Coyowolf**  
 **Nijimura: Timber Wolf**  
 **Mayuzumi: 1.) Gray Fox 2.) Fish (I can't freaking choose which!)**

 **and finally, my personal favorites:**

 **Ogiwara: Sea Otter**  
 **Hinata: Phoenix**

 **I might do a side story with these characterizations if I have time for it, so let me know if that interests any of you.**

 **Hope you liked this, and please don't be stingy on the comments! I adore them oh so much!**  
 **Ta-ta!** -Arudon

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	6. Setting the Stage

**Okay, so apparently getting sick was all the impetus I needed to produce this monstrosity of a chapter. 4,000 words longer than I'm use to, I hope you enjoy the added length! ^^**

* * *

And now, my dear readers, I believe a change of venue is in order. I ask that you divert your attention away from the sun-kissed coast of the west, away from that shining port-city of Seirin and their vibrant banners. Instead, I must direct your attention to another city far to the North, one far grander than any city you or I have laid our eyes upon.

East of the Tiasugra, the mile-wide river that bisects this land, a great mountain rises into the air, the tallest in all of Astra. For millennia, it has withstood the test of time, overseeing the entire expanse of the northeastern region of Astra throughout the ages.

However, its sanctity as a fortress of solitude has long since been revoked, for the entire mountainside is now swathed in a cascade of structures, the myriad of temples, towers, and palisades forming a bristling crust over the entire surface.

Great walls separate the city into sections, each increment marking an increase in both social status and power, so that the rich could physically tower over those who were less privileged. As one ascended the mountain, you would pass from the low class slums at the base; ascend through the crowded streets of the working class section; maneuver between the wealthy merchants' houses; march past the castles housing the myriad of soldiers and warriors; and bow and scrape your way before the Lords and Barons.

And finally, at the apex of this massive pillar of earth and rock, you would behold the Palace of the Sky, the massive structure resting far above the clouds and bedecked in banners of sky blue and white, matching the sky above it. At the pinnacle of this structure lay the throne room, its massive vaulted walls giving way to open sky, the lack of clouds negating the need for a ceiling. Powerful spells and incantations wove themselves throughout the Palace, ensuring that fresh, breathable air was afforded to all who resided inside.

This mountain, this miracle of architectural brilliance, is **Rakuza** , Capital city of the Rakuzan Empire and seat of its ancestral power for well over a thousand years.

However, my dear reader, I ask that you not become enraptured by the swirling brilliance of this city, and instead focus your attention on one particular antechamber located deep within the Palace of the Sky.

Herein we will find a young man preparing to exit his quarters. Dressed in linen of the finest make, and garbed in robes that would cost more than entire house, he cut a surprisingly imposing figure despite his slightly smaller than average size. Burning bright red hair hung low over his forehead, while startling, heterochromatic peered out between the silken locks to catch sight of himself in the mirror.

Those same red and gold eyes narrowed critically, a small frown appearing on his finely crafted features while the delicate arch of his eyebrows lowered slightly in displeasure. Reaching up, he unfastened the clasp to the robes, allowing them to fall off of his body and onto the floor, unconcerned with the wrinkles that would most likely be inflicted on the pricey garments.

Crossing his arms, the young man stripped off his tunic to reveal an abdomen that might as well have been crafted by the gods themselves. Alabaster skin was stretched over chorded muscles, the sleek and deadly build practically rippling with power as he shifted in the sunlight. Coupled with his already stunning visage, the young man could very well pass as a god himself.

Casting about, his red and gold eyes fell upon a shirt of mithril chainmail hanging from his dresser, the bluish white links of the incredibly rare metal dancing brilliantly in the light. After donning the garment with care the young man fastened a cloak of blue and white about his neck, rolling his shoulders so that the cloth cascaded down his back like a cape.

Extending his hand, the man allowed a small portion of his natural magic to leak out from him, summoning his weapon to his waiting palm. Within seconds, a dark black scythe came spinning out from where it had rested by his bedside, the curved, wicked blade gleaming red in the sunlight.

I believe it's about time that I introduced you to this man, my dear readers. Clad in power unbeknownst to the likes of you or I, this is Akashi Seijūrō, former leader of the Generation of Miracles and Crown Prince of the Rakuzan Empire.

Red and gold eyes flashed as Akashi swung the scythe onto his back, the stock collapsing to half its size while the blade curled in on itself so as not to become cumbersome while walking. The prince sent one sidelong glance to his crown, which rested on a purple satin pillow by the window, before dismissing it from his mind.

He had his eyes set on a far more important crown.

* * *

"-and so with that said, King Takeuchi, first of his name, extends a royal invitation to you and your son, in hopes that you will attend the Festival of the Dawn in a gesture of continued peace and prosperity between our two nations!" the herald finished, rolling up his scroll and glancing hopefully up at the man on the throne before him.

Emperor Akashi Masaomi leaned forward, his hands coming up to cradle his chin in thought. Dark brown eyes stared at the herald, who stiffened slightly under the weight of the old monarch's attention.

Masaomi had lived a long and colorful life. His youth had been filled with constant struggles against both the invading forces of the Wild Ones to the North and the manipulations of the Rakuzan court. He had also experienced great difficulties. Before he had even ascended to the throne, he had first had to defeat his five older brothers, all of whom had turned on each other after their father had passed away. Only after he had killed his eldest brother, Maduna, in single combat on the steps of the Palace of the Sky, was he allowed to claim his crown.

During his reign, Rakuzan had witnessed the flowering of Teiko, as well as the pressure of its long arms. It had been upon his orders that three of the five Uncrowned Kings had been sheltered within their borders, and it was under him that Rakuzan had continued to flourish.

He had had to suffer the death of his beloved wife, his delicate snow flower withering away under a terrible disease. But not before granting him with a son, whom he swore he would raise to be the pinnacle of strength and perfection. He would not lose another loved one in such a manner!

He had then had to suffer the ultimate humiliation as his son up and left one day (at the tender age of seven no less!) only to reemerge years later as the leader of Teiko Empire's army!

The audacity of the act was sickening.

Still, he had pressed on, and had held together his empire even as Teiko had ripped itself asunder, sending shockwaves rippling across the four corners of Astra. He had battened down all the hatches and weathered the storm, and when it was over he had reopened the gates of his Kingdom, even going so far as to allow his son to come back into the fold.

And now here stood a herald from one of the lower kingdoms, offering to him the notion of peace.

As if such a prospect were still viable at this point!

Still, it would not do to outright deny him. Kaijo was a bountiful kingdom after all, its gold and silver mines rich enough to rival even Rakuzan's vast sums of wealth. Perhaps he would entertain the notion of attending this festival, provided Seijūrō was willing.

"I have heard your offer, herald of Kaijo, and I find it to my liking. Give me a day to consider my-…"

Masaomi trailed off as the massive, gold encrusted doors to the throne room creaked open, the guards on either side of the doorway moving back in surprise at the unexpected entrance. The doors halted with a shudder, the light from the open sky highlighting the figure as he stepped through the arch and into the chamber.

Sunlight danced off of scarlet hair and heterochromatic eyes, and was reflected a thousand times over in the shirt of mithril that he had on.

"Seijūrō?" the Emperor called out in confusion, his dark, cloudy brown eyes meeting those of scarlet and burnt gold. A small smirk lifted the corners of his son's lips, an indecipherable emotion flashing behind the cool façade the prince presented.

"Father." Akashi replied in lieu of greeting, stepping away from the door and approaching the throne, his footsteps echoing loudly off the walls. The guards on either side of the room shifted nervously, their gauntleted hands gripping their ceremonial spears tightly.

Something about the prince's aura seemed…off. At least, more than it usually was.

Masaomi frowned as his son approached him, confusion passing across his wrinkled face. "What brings you here unannounced Seijūrō? I did not give you permission to intrude upon the affairs of this court!" he said sternly, attempting to stare the younger down as he halted before the steps of the throne. The Kaijo herald next to him shrank back a few feet, his fear obvious as his eyes flicked to the wicked scythe handle strapped to Akashi's back.

"Indeed, you did not, Father. And yet here I stand," Akashi answered, fixing his heterochromatic gaze onto the elder Akashi, the vertical pupils dilating ever so slightly. "We have urgent matters to discuss, ones that are far more pressing than some token Festival," he said, shooting a sidelong glance at the herald, who scurried away from him, thoroughly intimidated by his mere presence alone.

The Emperor shifted forward in his seat, staring down at his son. "Oh" he asked. "And what are these issues that you speak of? Surely they must be of dire importance to have you displaying such disrespect!" he said, his voice dripping with anger.

Akashi remained undeterred, however, and merely stared up at his father with a neutral gaze. "They are indeed dire, Father." He said, his voice flat and uncompromising.

Reaching into his breast pocket, the younger Akashi removed a folded piece of parchment, which he held up for the Emperor to see. "I have here a field report from one of our scouts that Aoba Johsai has yet again infringed upon our territory, burning our fields and destroying our infrastructure!"

Akashi cast the parchment forward, letting it fall at the Emperor's feet. "This is the fourth time they have done so, and still you refuse to act. Why?"

Akashi cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, his red and gold gaze burning into his father's own soft brown. "Is it that you feel some misplaced sense of pity for them? Or have you simply gone soft with age, Father?"

Everyone in the throne room stiffened at the prince's hurled insult. No one, not even the heir to the throne, had the right to speak with such disrespect to the Sky Emperor.

The guards' hands moved towards their weapons, but a gesture from the Emperor had them relaxing. Masaomi's other hand clenched into a fist, his leather gloves crinkling due to the force of his grip. "I assure you Seijūrō, I have not 'gone soft,' as you so inelegantly suggest. Rather, I can merely sympathize with Aoba Johsai's plight. Blue Castle has long been a staunch ally of ours, but in these troubled times they are having difficulty maintaining control of their people. These so called 'attacks' are nothing more than deserters from their army, displaced and angry due to Teiko's-"

"Allegedly, Father," Akashi interrupted, taking a step closer to the throne. Masaomi stiffened ever so slightly, tensing under his son's powerful gaze. This was not lost on Akashi, who smirked ever so slightly in response. "Allegedly. I have read the reports myself, and as the only one here who has served in a military in the past twenty years, I can tell you for certain that 'deserters' do not move with this level of coordination. Aoba Johsai is playing you: stealing from right under your nose, while they lie straight to your face!"

Akashi's lip curled ever so slightly in disgust, his eyes dancing with hostility. "The fact that you cannot see this simply proves to me that old age has blinded your eyes and muddled your thinking!"

Again, everyone in the court room gasped. That was two insults now! Anyone else would have had their tongue ripped out and their innards cast out on the mountainside, to be pecked and eaten by birds.

Why was the prince still alive?

Masaomi, however, leaned back. Staring down at his son, he allowed his mind to drift for a moment, letting his imagination conjure up an image of what his subconscious mind was telling him.

Seijūrō's form slowly shifted and warped before the Emperor's eyes, his body lengthening and stretching in fantastic proportions. Soon, a twenty feet long sinewy body was revealed, all four limbs missing and instead covered in red and bronze scales. Blood-red and burnt-golden eyes stared down at him, their gaze penetrating him to the very core of his being, skewering him in place while a menacing hood flared out to either side of its head. A forked tongue flicked between two pairs of venomous fangs, the dagger-like teeth leaking with deadly toxin that could drop a man with a single bite.

A Cobra. An Emperor Cobra. That is what his son resembled: beautiful and elegant, but incredibly deadly and entirely unpredictable. His eyes betrayed nothing, his face belied his fangs, and his words were filled with venom; so sinfully sweet, and yet so equally toxic.

"Are you sure of this?" Masaomi asked quietly, blinking his eyes rapidly. In the course of a second the monstrous snake was wiped from his field of view, to be replaced by the form of his son once again.

Akashi smiled up at his father, the expression revealing none of the malice that dwelled behind it. "Of course Father," Akashi said. "I am absolute. And thus, I am never wrong."

Masaomi shuddered. He had never felt more like prey in his life!

NO! He was the Emperor here, not Seijūrō. He would handle this as such. Just take a deep breath, and calm down. Now.

Masaomi stared at Seijūrō for a minute, trying to figure out what the nagging feeling at the back of his mind was.

"It is unlike you to be so concerned with such a trivial matter, Seijūrō," Masaomi finally said, tilting his head to the side in thought. "What is it that you are really here for, hmmm?"

"Is it not obvious, Father?" he asked, a scarlet eyebrow lifting in surprise. "Well then, let me be clear: I feel that you have retained your title as Emperor for far too long. You are old, and your judgement is clouded. Should war erupt in the South, I do not believe that you will have the capacity to lead us through it. As such, I wish for you to abdicate the throne immediately, and allow me to take your place as Emperor of the Sky."

Masaomi snapped back in shock, as if Seijūrō had bitten him like the snake he so closely resembled. "I will do no such thing!" he spat, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne.

"Then I challenge you for the throne, as is my birth right." Akashi replied.

"…"

…

Everyone in the court froze, not quite believing what they were hearing. Off to the side, one of the guards' spears dropped to the ground, the soldier's fingers having gone numb with shock.

This was beyond insolence! This was treason! **Heresy!**

"How…" Masaomi began, his eyes narrowing in suppressed rage. "How dare you…!" he growled, rising slowly from his seat to tower over the younger Akashi.

Seijūrō tilted his head back slightly, nonplussed by his father's outrage. His face remained impassive as the Emperor's hands tightened in fury, the old man's face growing slowly redder by the second.

"I raised you. I clothed you. I gave you the best home one could possibly wish for. And what do I get in return? You abandon this kingdom, your people, and disappear to gods know where! I receive now word whatsoever as to your whereabouts for nine years…NINE YEARS SEIJŪRŌ! And when I finally do, it is to hear that you ARE LEADING THE POINT GROUP OF A RIVAL EMPIRE, ONE THAT THREATENED OUR BORDERS DAILY! BORDERS WHICH WE HAVE GUARDED AND PROTECTED WITH THE BLOOD OF OUR ANCESTORS FOR NIGH ON A THOUSAND YEARS!"

Masaomi paused, his brown eyes burning with righteous fury, while Seijūrō merely raised an eyebrow at his father's outburst.

"But did I hold a grudge?" Masaomi questions. "Did I turn you away when you came crawling home, like some pathetic puppy abandoned in the rain? NO! I accepted you back. I clothed you; fed you; restored you to all the power befitting of a Prince of Rakuzan. AND HOW DO YOU REPAY ME?!"

Masaomi flung out his arm, every word now bellowed out with all the force his aged body had to offer. "YOU CHALLENGE ME?! ME?! YOUR OWN **FATHER?!** **"**

Masaomi paused for a moment, panting in fury, before closing his eyes and slumping back down onto his throne, tears welling up behind closed lids. "You are no son of mine," he said quietly, to which Seijūrō cocked his head.

A pregnant pause passed between them, in which Masaomi continued to attempt to catch his breath, while the younger Akashi collected his thoughts. His dual-colored eyes suddenly glinted as an epiphany struck him, and he lifted his head once more to stare up at the Emperor.

"You are correct, Father." Akashi finally said, drawing a hateful glare from Masaomi. "What?" The emperor barked in question, his simmering brown eyes colliding with those calm, cold orbs of scarlet and gold.

Akashi's lips twitched upwards in a small grin. "You are right: by all ways save for our shared blood, I am in no way your son. I could never have lived the way you wished for me to; we are simply too different."

Akashi chuckled before folding his hands behind his back, his eyes closing briefly at the irony of his father's statement. "In the end, my escape from this prison you call a palace was unavoidable. Leaving you behind, despite all that you had to offer, was to safeguard my sanity. Even had I not been summoned away, your oppressive rule would have driven my mad!"

Akashi's voice spiked at the end of his sentence, the cool façade of his face cracking for the first time, revealing a hint of his true irritation. A chuckled from above forced him to look up, where his eyes alighted upon his father's own ironic smile.

"And yet, as you are so clearly demonstrating," the emperor laughed. "You have managed to lose your mind all the same."

Akashi frowned.

Everyone shivered as the temperature in the room seemed to drop five degrees, sending chills running up and down their spines. Akashi's body seemed to flex subtly, as if an inner fire had been lit.

Masaomi's eyes narrowed as the cobra's metaphorical hood flared, his fangs finally bared in menace.

"Will you step down willingly, Father?" Akashi asked, his mismatched eyes boring into those of his father, who stared back down at him with a mixture of hatred, disappointment, and despair.

Letting out a sigh, Masaomi finally broke their gaze before shaking his head solemnly, his eyes closing in wariness. "No, I will not, Seijūrō. And I will hear no more of this."

Raising his hand, the Emperor signaled the guards ringing the room, the well trained men all snapping to attention at the gesture. "Remove this man from my presence at once, and confine him to a cloud cell. I will deal with him when I see fit," Masaomi said, sending his son what could only be described as a challenging glare.

You wish to play this game, boy? Fine. Let me be the first to throw down the glove.

Within seconds, Akashi was surrounded by the Palace Guards, a wall of spears ringing him in on all sides. Red and gold eyes narrowed dangerously, while a pale hand flexed, a red glow beginning to trickle across his fingers. The soldiers bristled as the prince's deadly aura seized against their throats, the weight of his gaze almost forcing them to their knees. However, they remained steadfast, their eyes narrowing in resolve. "I would suggest you lower your weapons immediately, lest you wish for your organs to be removed from your chests," Akashi said, his voice still as smooth as velvet despite the venom that laced his words.

"We take our orders from the Emperor, not you, traitor!" one of the men growled. "Now you heard the order. MOVE!" he commanded, before thrusting his spear towards the Akashi.

The response was swift and immediate, his attack coming so fast that none of the guards even had time to react. Akashi swept his left arm across his body, spinning in place as he did so and unleashing an arc of red energy that slammed into their chests, sending them hurling back in all directions. A cacophony of crashes and screams resounded around the throne room as the guards were flung high into the air to strike the pillars and walls, followed immediately by crashes of metal as they slid to the ground.

A high pitched wail of agony soon began to rise up from the downed men as the metal of their breastplates began to fuse with their skin, the intense heat of Akashi's spell having melted the steel. They rolled about on the floor as their skin began to bubble and peel, the smell of scorched flesh filling the throne room.

Ignoring their cries of the mutilated guards, Akashi clenched his fist tightly, extinguishing the red flame's eerie glow. Reaching up with his other hand, he grasped the handle of his scythe, his fingers wrapping around the black leather-bound shaft, before swinging it down, the stock expanding rapidly and the blade unfurling to reach its full, terrifying length.

Red and gold eyes found their way back to dark brown, his father's gaze now widened in shock and rage.

Akashi smirked. "Now, are you going to fight me Father?" he asked, leveling his scythe towards the older male. "Or are you going to cower behind more of your play soldiers. Either way, I'll still win. I always do."

Masaomi's fist tightened in rage, before he jerked up from his throne, throwing off his robes in anger. "SWORD!" he cried, and from the side of the throne room a retainer stepped forward, a large, ornately decorated sword gripped in his hands. Kneeling, he presented the weapon to Masaomi, who gripped its handle tightly before drawing it from its scabbard in one smooth motion, the keen edge of its blade sending the light of the sun dancing across the throne room.

This was Kirasagi, the ancestral blade of the Akashi lineage. Legend had it that this was the very same blade that slew the Mountain King Orchiro at the beginning of the Akashi's reign nigh on a thousand years ago, and after having bathed in the wild king's blood it had allegedly attained magical properties.

It had been handed down the Akashi family from Father to Son, only ever being wielded by the Emperor.

The younger Akashi smiled, spinning his scythe around to grasp it with both hands.

"COME THEN, SEIJŪRŌ!" his father roared, lifting the blade high into the air. "COME AND MEET YOUR DEATH!"

* * *

A thin shaft of sunlight pierced through the dreary darkness of the court room, highlighting the raised oaken panel behind which sat the assembled Justicars of the Nekoma High Court. Garbed in robes of pitch black and veils of gray, the seven wise men sat behind the panel, grumbling amongst themselves as they prepared for the most important case of the day (or the month, probably).

Behind them, perched atop a throne that was elevated even more so than their panel, sat the King of Nekoma: Nekomata Yasafumi, First of his name.

Despite his great age, he had once been known as a fierce tactician back in the days of Teiko, and he, along with his long time friend/rival Ukai Ikkei, had even served on the war council during the Civil War. However, the years had been kinder to Nekomata than Ukai, and the old cat's health was still relatively strong, while 'Grandfather Crow' had had to retire from active service due to his failing heart.

The wizened man sighed as he stared down at the court room. This case had been troubling him for quite some time, particularly due to the nature of the defendant. It was troubling to see one so young throwing his life away so casually.

Lifting his gaze across the court, Nekomata sound found his gaze ensnared by a pair of pitch black eyes, their vertical pupils creating an eerily powerful gaze. The eyes belonged to the Captain of Nekoma's Point Group: Kuroo Tetsuro. Heralded far and wide as a willful and tricky fighter (as well as an intimidating tactician) Kuroo had served Nekomata faithfully in maintaining the borders of their ancient city, as well as reinforcing his rule as King.

Kuroo blinked up at the old man from his place beside the door, leaning casually against the stone wall of the court while his darky, spiky hair fell across his right eye (as per usual), partially concealing his face. With a subtle nod, Kuroo signaled to him that everything was ready to proceed.

Nekomata frowned. No point in delaying this any longer than necessary, then.

"Silence!" he called, banging his fist down on the arm of his chair, instantly quieting the hall. "The trial shall now commence. Bring in the prisoner!" he announced, looking back at Kuroo.

At the glance from his King, the raven nodded his head and pushed open the doors, the massive slabs of wood creaking as they swung upon their hinges.

From the corridor outside, a small group began to make their way into the courtroom. Four men dressed entirely in black formed a square around the one in the middle, their faces concealed behind gray masks, demarking them as executioners.

This meant that should their prisoner attempt to resist in any form, they would strike him down immediately.

In each of their hands was a link of chain, all four of which attached to the collar worn by the man in the middle. Dressed in dirty prison rags, the prisoner shuffled forward, his hands and feet bound by heavy iron manacles. As they proceeded down the aisle, the shackles clanked loudly against the stone floor, producing a high pitched ringing with every footfall.

Halting before the oaken panel, the four executioners all moved away from the prisoner, before bending down to attach the links of their chains to loops of iron already embedded in the stone. The chains tugged on the iron collar, forcing the prisoner to crouch down. Pausing for a moment, the man let out a laugh and sat down completely, crossing his legs beneath him and staring up at the justicars with a wide, devious smile upon his face.

Despite his dirty appearance, the man (boy, really) appeared to still be in good health: his tall, muscular form rippled with intensity, a wealth of untapped potential stored within the corded ligaments. A dangerous, menacing aura seemed to leak off of him, giving the impression that he could snap at a moment's notice.

Dark, steel gray eyes peered out from his face, his features harsh and angular, and might have been attractive had they not been set into what appeared to be a permanent sneer. Two earrings dangled from each of his ears, the four bands of metal glinting dully in the dim lighting of the room.

Dark hair cascaded down his head, the strands braided into cornrows so that his forehead was entirely clear. Streaks of ash-gray locks wove themselves through them black, remnants of his natural hair color attempting to peek through.

The boy leaned backwards, as if to test the strength of the chains keeping him restrained. He smirked in satisfaction as the guards surrounding him tensed, before wincing as the collar began to cut into his neck.

"Aw, what's the matter fellas?" he taunted, his voice a low tenor rumbling out from his chest. His smile widened into a feral grin, revealing his sharpened incisors. "Afraid I'll bite? HA! Don't worry: I will!" he chuckled, before snapping his teeth in a mockery of a threat

"The prisoner will remain silent until addressed by the court!" one of the Justicars commanded, leaning down to stare at the defendant. The young man tilted his head back, his stare hardening in aggression as he locked gazes with the veiled man. "Oh will I now? Why don't you come down here and make me, BAAAKAA!" he said, before sticking his tongue out.

One of the guards immediately stepped forward and struck him across the face, his gauntleted fist crunching as it struck his jaw. The young man's head snapped to the side, a grunt of pain escaping from his mouth while a shrill ringing noise echoed in his ear.

Spitting out a glob of blood, the young man turned back to face the executioner, his dark gray eyes narrowing in pure malice. "Wanna try that again? I'll rip you fucking arm off!" he growled.

"ENOUGH!" a voice called down, halting the guard's responding blow. Stepping back, the guard folded his arms behind his back and bowed his head respectfully. The young man smirked, before the sound of his name caused him to look up at the Justicars.

"Haizaki Shougo," the one in the middle announced. "You have been called here today to answer for your crimes against this city and its people. Retainer, please read off the charges!" the Justicar announced, before gesturing towards a man off to the side.

Stepping out from the shadows where he had been observing, the retainer paused to send Haizaki a hate filled glare, before unrolling the scroll that he clutched tightly between his hands.

"Haizaki Shougo, on May 12, one week prior to today, you entered this city under the guise of a mercenary seeking work. However, events soon unfolded to reveal that you are nothing more than a thief and a liar. After attempting to steal a priceless dagger from Lord Atacama, the Vice-Minister of Coin to the Nekoma Throne, you then proceeded to stab him in the stomach with said dagger after he attempted to call for help. You then engaged in a duel with the City Guard, maiming fifteen and killing seven valiant souls, before setting fire to a nearby shop and attempting to escape down an alley. You might have managed to escape, had our own Kuroo Tetsuro, Captain of the Nekoma Point Group, not apprehended you and brought into custody. As it stands, you are charged with theft, attempted murder of a Nobleman, arson, attacking the city watch, and killing our soldiers. How do you plead?"

Haizaki let out a laugh, shaking his head in amazement as the herald recounted the entire affair. When it was all spelled out like that, it actually did sound pretty bad. But to be honest, it wasn't entirely his fault. True, he had tried to steal the fat geezer's dagger, but if he hadn't wanted it to be pinched then he shouldn't have been walking around with it in plain in the first place! And the guards didn't even attempt to arrest him: they took one look at the small nick he had made on the fat pig when he had grabbed the dagger and just started swinging wildly. Seriously, killing them was almost inevitable! If they didn't want to die, then they should have practiced a bit more before taking on someone as skilled as Haizaki!

"What do you mean, 'how do I plead?'" Haizaki asked, his voice thick with incredulity as he stared at the herald, whose face was rapidly becoming more and more familiar. "Everyone knows I did it, hell, you were there!"

Indeed, he had been. Haizaki remembered the idiot as the one whom he had grabbed a torch from. The asshole had tried to shove the damn thing in his face; Haizaki had only knocked it aside out of reflex. It wasn't his fault most of the stores were made out of wood and straw!

Lowering his head, Haizaki smirked to himself. "My only regret is that I let that upstart Cat one-shot me like that!" he growled, turning to stare at Kuroo murderously. The raven smirked back at him, the cat's superior smile only serving to further enrage the bound mercenary.

One of the Justicars leaned forward, his obscured face still easily purveying his surprise at Haizaki's outburst. "Is that so?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "So you have nothing to say in your defense?" he asked, to which Haizaki replied by merely smiling innocently (which he absolutely could not pull off) back up at him.

"Well, what can I say? 'Sorry for stabbing your noble, setting fire to your shop and killing your men?' Sorry, I may not like you guys, but I even I wouldn't insult your intelligence with such an obvious lie!"

Haizaki paused for a moment, his head tilting back in thought, before he laughed and shook his head, his malicious grin spreading back on his face. "Or maybe I would! You guys are all IIIIDIIIIIOOOTS anyway!" he taunted, drawing out the insult while sticking out his tongue again.

The courtroom began to buzz and rumble in distaste as the nobles all growled. Kuroo simply smirked, admiring the guy's guts while also internally laughing as he watched Haizaki dig his own grave.

The Justicar who had spoken before tilted his head, his expression behind the veil curious but indifferent. "Is that so? Very well then," he said, before raising a gavel high into the air. "Haizaki Shougo, for your crimes against Nekoma and its people, I hereby sentence you to dea-"

"JUST A MOMENT, Akazari-san," a Justicar interjected, standing up from his end on the far left of the table. The first Justicar (Akazari, apparently) groaned before sitting back down, placing the gavel back onto the wooden panel. "Justicar Yuri, I should have guessed you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut. What fascinating theory do you have for us this time?" he asked, his words laced heavily with sarcasm and resentment.

Yuri cleared his throat, before standing up and stepping down from behind the panel, moving to approach Haizaki. The mercenary stiffened as the Justicar approached, eyeing the old man carefully as he halted just out of his reach. "Haizaki Shougo, how many men did you say you defeated during the course of the incident?" he asked.

The mercenary scoffed. "Let's see. I killed seven of them, and maimed…fifteen I think? So that would make twenty-two of your wind-up dolls that I disassembled!" he said, a prideful smirk spreading across his face.

Yuri let out a low whistle. "Quite an impressive number, Haizaki. Not many a man would not have been able to take on so many and emerge unscathed, and certainly none quite so young as you. You must have trained incredibly hard to achieve this level of skill! Tell me, where did you receive this training?"

Haizaki smirked. "Well, if you must know, I used to be the Small Forward for the Teiko Point Group!" he announced, drawing gasps of shock from his audience. Yuri stumbled, not having expected such an answer. "Teiko, you say?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in fascination. "Would that make you one of the Generation of Miracles?"

Haizaki growled. That was always a sore spot for him.

"NO!" he barked, his teeth set in a snarl. "Don't ever compare me to those wannabe fighters! I was there before they had even coined the name, but I couldn't stand them! They were holding me back, so I left!" he yelled, glaring daggers at the old man.

Yuri nodded, before taking a step back. "Again, impressive," he said, before tilting his head back and scanning the audience.

"Is the High Court-Wizard present?" he called out, searching through the crowd for the distinctive mop of blonde and black. "Here," a quiet voice said, before a small body pushed its way through the gathered nobles.

Breaching the crowd, the figure stopped in his tracks, his head tilted down so that his eyes were firmly fixed on the floor. He was small, probably no taller than five and a half feet, and was incredibly young, appearing for all the world to be no older than fifteen or sixteen. His hair was oddly colored, with black roots but blonde tips, the result of an experiment gone wrong and permanently discoloring it. Bright golden eyes stared out from his face, the vertical pupils giving the frail boy a distinctly cat-like appearance.

A red cloak was thrown about his shoulders, a small white string attaching the garment to his neck, while his small hands clutched a gnarled staff covered from tip to base in runes. The rest of his body was covered in standard apparel, with the exception of a large, clay rune that hung from a chord around his neck.

All in all, he looked rather unassuming, if not a little meek. His golden eyes remained fixed upon the ground, refusing to look up even as a Justicar called out to him from behind the panel.

"Please state your name and rank for the Court," the Justicar said, his tone bored and procedural. The boy nodded in response, before opening his mouth in reply.

"I'm…Kozume Kenma," he mumbled quietly, shuffling his feet nervously while he his eyes flicked to another patch of floor. "I'm on the Point Group as the Point guard. I'm also the wizard," he said, drawing looks of confusion from several of the Justicars upon uttering his last sentence.

Kenma jerked in surprise as a large hand descended onto his left shoulder, the fingers tightening slightly around his delicate appendage. "He means he's the best magic user in the city," a voice said, full of pride and slight hint of defensiveness. Turning, Kenma tilted his head up slightly to meet the onyx black eyes of Kuroo Tetsuro, the taller sending him a reassuring smile before turning to face the panel. "And despite his appearance, he's dead right! We'd be dead in the water if not for him, and he's saved my life more times than I can count! Please keep that in mind for what he has to say!" Kuroo said, squeezing the smaller male's shoulder affectionately before stepping back slightly. Kenma seemed to deflate slightly as the distance between him and Kuroo increased, but at least he wasn't staring at the ground anymore.

The Justicar nodded in acknowledgement as Kuroo went back to leaning against the wall. "Thank you, Captain Kuroo. Your insight is duly noted. Justicar Yuri, if you may proceed?" he asked turning to look back down at the other Justicar.

"Of course," Yuri said, before turning back to stare at Kenma.

"Now, Kozume-san, have you performed the analyzation of Haizaki's blood, as I had requested?" he asked, to which Kenma nodded in reply. "And your findings?" Yuri asked leadingly.

Kenma shifted slightly, returning his golden gaze back to the ground. "I found high levels of lycanthropy, just like you said," he mumbled, drawing murmurs of uneasiness from both the crowd and the panel.

Lycanthropy: the ability to transform from a human into an animal. Most people who were gifted (or cursed, as some might argue) were relatively harmless, but there were others that used their abilities to cause widespread fear and destruction, thus giving them a bad name. While they weren't actively shunned by general society, there were some who openly protested to their continued existence, even going so far as to create lynch mobs to round up and execute them. These were extremely uncommon, but they happened often enough to merit some attention.

Yuri nodded in satisfaction, before sending a glance between Kuroo and Kenma. "And is it not true that both you and Captain Kuroo are, yourself, lycanthropes yourselves? Were-cats, to be precise?" he asked.

Kenma jolted in surprise. While it wasn't exactly a secret, he and Kuroo never advertised their status to the general public.

They had been together ever since they encountered each other in their old village. Kuroo had been eleven while Kenma had been seven. They had become fast friends, and had been inseparable ever since, even becoming mates when Kenma reached sexual maturity. However, their lives had been changed forever when raiders attacked their village, slaughtering their families and destroying their homes. That had been the first time they had ever killed anyone, and the experience had molded them into what they were now.

While his mate certainly liked to brag and boast about their abilities to their teammates, Kenma had always been slightly shy about it, so Kuroo had played it down. Having it brought up in court like this was definitely unexpected.

However, the small Point Guard didn't let the topic faze him, and instead nodded in admission. "Yeah…." he said, his voice trailing off slightly, as if that fact truly wasn't a big deal.

"So, Kozume-san, would you say that you would know more about lycanthropy than most wizards? In fact, can we consider calling you an expert?" Yuri asked excitedly, his tone rising as if building to some grand conclusion.

Kenma shrugged. "I guess so…" he answered quietly.

"So, I ask you this: are there any spells that can allow an individual to control a lycanthrope?" he asked, drawing several shocked gasps from the crowd. Haizaki's eyes slowly widened in horror, the mercenary beginning to piece together exaclty what the old man had in mind.

Kenma looked taken aback at the question, his eyes snapping up from the ground to directly meet Yuri's (even though they were obscured thanks to the Justicar's veil). The partial-blond then lowered his eyes back to the ground as he scoured his brain for an answer, biting into his lower lip in concentration.

His eyes widened as a particular spell came to mind, and he turned his head to look back at Yuri. "Yeah, there is one," he said, drawing a hum of satisfaction from Yuri. "But it would have to be tethered to another lycanthrope," he finished.

Yuri nodded, his conclusion finally ready to be presented. "Haizaki Shougo, through your actions you have inflicted a large burden on Nekoma. The soldiers that you have killed were highly valued professionals, ones that cannot be easily found or bought. However, you, by your own admission, are far stronger than they could ever have hoped to be, and have now been revealed to by a Lycanthrope, something that we can control," Yuri said, drawing a low, rumbling growl from the shocked Haizaki.

Turning around, Yuri tilted his head back to face the rest of the Justicars, his smile evident even through the obscuring gray veil. "Fellow Justicars, hear my proclamation! Rather than sentence the criminal Haizaki Shougo to death, I propose we instead utilize his fighting potential to bolster the gap his actions has left behind! In these troubled times, we cannot afford to allow power, no matter what form it comes in, to slip through our fingers! Instead, we must seize it! Grasp ahold of it! Squeeze out every last drop of use that we can! Because I guarantee, our opponents shall certainly be doing the same!"

Yuri stepped back, spreading his arms out to the side like a preacher offering up a prayer. "What say you, my brothers? Shall we condemn this boy to death, or use him for our advantage?!"

His voice rolled out across the court, booming and powerful, and filled with righteous justice. The Justicars all exchanged glances, before nodding in silent agreement. Justicar Akazari then stood, planting his hands and leaning over the panel to stare down at Yuri. "Well, for once Yuri, you have an excellent point. We accept your proposal. Haizaki Shougo, we hereby-"

*CHINK* *CLANK*

*GASP*

Akazari's words were cut off as Haizaki lunged forward, crossing the distance between him and Yuri in seconds. The lycanthrope's steel gray eyes were burning with unbridled fury, while his mouth opened into a full blown snarl, revealing his rapidly sharpening canines. The chains about his neck clattered in cacophony as they were suddenly being pulled almost to the breaking point, while the manacles about his wrists clanked together as he closed his hands around Yuri's throat, his claws digging into the soft velvet encircling the Justicar's throat.

"You fucking **bastard!** **"** Haizaki growled, his eyes boring into the blank spots where Yuri's own eyes should be. "You think you can treat me like I'm some sort of animal?! Like I'm **PROPERTY!"**

Haizaki tightened his grip, choking the old man while the Justicar's hands flew up to instinctively grasp onto his arms. The guards surrounding Haizaki hesitated, wanting nothing more than to run him through, but terrified that they might kill the Justicar by doing so. Haizaki's growl was rapidly turning feral, dropping several octaves as his vocal chords shifted slightly. "I'm not some puppet that you can toss around, like those tin soldiers you've got lined up over there! I. WILL. KILL. YOU. And there's nothing that any of them," Haizaki jerked his head to the side, somehow indicating the entire court. "Could do about it!" he snarled.

Behind him, the courtroom had come to a complete standstill, the nobles all too scared to move, and the soldiers to terrified to act.

In fact, the only one moving at all was Kuroo Tetsuro, the were-cat slowly creeping forward with his sword drawn, ready to pounce the second Haizaki dropped his guard. He halted, however, when he saw a long, bushy black tail slowly leaking its way out from Haizaki's lower back, while two lupine ears sprouted from atop his head, streaks of gray running through the mostly black ears.

Haizaki was shifting.

And to a fellow lycanthrope, that meant only one thing: the express intent to kill.

Things were much worse than he had thought. If anyone made a single wrong move, Yuri was a dead man.

Which is why it came as such a surprise when Yuri himself was the first to move, the Justicar slowly lifting his hand from Haizaki's arm to grasp the top of his veil. Yanking hard, the old man tore the silken veil from his head, the sound of ripping fabric filling the near silent hall.

Haizaki's steel gray eyes widened as they locked with fiery, furious sky blue orbs. Yuri's face was set into a victorious snarl, his glare just as fierce (if not more so) than the lycanthrope choking him.

"And I will kill you, Haizaki Shougo," he choked out, the old man somehow managing to find his voice despite Haizaki's crushing grip. "My son was amongst the ones that you slew, you damn brat! So it would give me no greater pleasure than to see your ignorant, putrid head stuck upon a pike, and your body left to rot and be picked apart by crows!" he snarled, actually leaning forward in Haizaki's grasp, forcing the other to pale slightly.

"So please, prove to me that you really are as stupid as you look! Kill me, and watch how swiftly 'they' cut you down!" he spat, his face growing red as he struggled for breath.

"As a Justicar, it is my lawful duty to ensure the safety of the citizens, but just once I would like to see my own personal vendettas win out over logic! So do it, Haizaki Shougo! Show everyone here that you are the ANIMAL that I proclaim you to be!" he said, a final, triumphant grin spreading across his face.

Haizaki's jaw dropped, a quiet, "You're fucking insane," falling from his lips. A minute passed as the Justicar stared into the eyes of the convict, the two seeming to engage in a fierce battle of wills.

Finally, Haizaki lowered his head, his hands releasing the Justicar while his knees buckled, sending him sliding to the ground. "Fine, you crazy bastard. You win. I'll play your damn game," Haizaki rumbled, his black tail lashing angrily against the stone floor while the guards encircled him, their spears and swords forming a ring of blades around the defenseless prisoner.

Yuri stumbled back before taking in a huge gulp of air, a hand reaching up to massage his throat. None of this did anything to diminish the twin gleams of disappointment and perverse satisfaction that were dancing in his blue eyes, while a victorious smile once again spread across his wizened and bearded face.

"Very well, Haizaki. If that is your final answer," the Justicar said after he had regained his breath, before turning to glance back up at Akazari.

The other Justicar jolted, before shakily raising his gavel into the air. "H-Haizaki Shougo, you are hereby sentenced to forced military service, to be released only upon the word of our ruler. King Nekomata, is there anything you wish to add?" he asked, turning about to face the monarch.

Nekomata was staring in bold-faced shock at both Haizaki and Yuri, stunned by the former's sheer strength and floored by the latter's conviction. At the sound of his name, however, he jerked out of his stupor and shook his head. "Only that Haizaki shall be killed where he stands should he disobey these orders," he gasped out, before sliding back into his throne, thoroughly exhausted from the exchange he had just witnessed.

Akazari nodded, glancing down one last time before bringing his gavel down, the loud *BANG* resulting from it serving to jerk everyone else out of their own respective trances as well. "So let it be said. So let it be done. This trial is adjourned!" he announced, eliciting a sigh of relief from all but a few present.

Yuri smirked as he stared down at Haizaki, the Lycanthrope's extra appendages slowly retracting back into his form. "Your death would have been satisfying indeed," he said, tilting his head to the side as Haizaki twitched in response. "But the prospect of watching you crawl about like the dog you are is fair compensation, I suppose," he finished, drawing a glance from the convict.

Haizaki shifted, rising as far as the chains would allow him, while a broad smile stretched across his face. "Just wait old man. I'll make you swallow those words soon," he chuckled.

Yuri chuckle in response, before turning about and beginning to walk away. "We'll see," he said in place of farewell, drawing a final laugh from Haizaki.

He was a gutsy old man, he'll give him that, but he was still going to rip his heart out through his throat whenever he got the chance. After all, no one baits Haizaki Shougo like that and gets away with it!

"Ne, wipe that disgusting grin off your face, Haizaki-kun," a snide voice said from behind him, prompting the lycanthrope to turn around. An involuntary yelp tore out of his throat as the tip of a sword whistled inches past his face, slicing through the chains restraining him with a sharp *SHLANK*!

Haizaki fell backwards as his balance was upset, his arms snapping down to catch himself. He froze as the cold tip of the blade came to rest underneath his throat, and his eyes slowly rose to meet those of onyx black, the vertical pupils smiling down at him with feral intensity.

Kuroo began to apply pressure to the blade, forcing Haizaki to rise onto his feet lest he wish to be skewered by the blade. As they drew close to eye level, Kuroo stepped forward to fasten another, smaller pair of handcuffs onto Haizaki, the metal glowing with magical properties. "After all, a grinning wolf is not something I particularly enjoy looking at!" Kuroo hissed, his own feral grin widening to display his feline fangs.

Haizaki only widened his grin in response, displaying his own canines and blatantly disobeying Kuroo's order. "To be honest, I don't like cat's all that much either," he growled, to which Kuroo chuckled. "Well then, Haizaki-kun, I guess we're at a mutual understanding. I don't like you, you don't like me. I think we're going to get along just fine, don't you?" he asked.

Haizaki snorted. "Yeah," he replied. "We'll get along juuuuuust fine!"

* * *

Masaomi let out a retching cough, his blood splattering across the golden panels of the throne room floor as he attempted to crawl away from his adversary on his hands and knees. Beside him, the shimmering blade of Kurasagi lay broken, the sword snapped cleanly in two after just three blows from Seijūrō's scythe.

He never stood a chance. Not once. The entire fight had played out in a matter of seconds, with the younger Akashi only seeming to parry the first few blows to humor him.

Turning about, Masaomi held out one of his arms, as if to desperately ward off his oncoming death.

That, or to make one last plea for his life.

Either way, it made no difference.

Red and gold eyes flashed as the younger male swung his scythe, the curved blade ripping through the front of his Father's robes and slicing through his lungs and heart. A splash of blood painted the ground red once again, before the old man fell over dead, his body slumping against the floor while his blood pooled about beneath him.

Akashi did not even bat an eye at his father's passing, but instead stepped over his corpse and bent down, reaching out to yank the crown from off of his head.

The courtiers all stepped back, watching in horrified fascination as Akashi gripped the crown with one hand and his scythe in the other, the redhead seeming to ponder something for a moment before discarding the scythe completely.

Stepping forward, Akashi strode untouched through the crowd of soldiers and nobles that gathered to watch his duel, and instead ascended the steps of the throne, pausing upon the last one, to glance down at the crown. Red and gold eyes peered into the shining, intricate bands of gold, silver, and gems that composed the Akashi crown, contemplating how something so small could be worth so much value.

Tilting his head upwards, Akashi allowed his gaze to pass over everyone present, sending chills up and down their spines.

Releasing a sigh, Akashi lowered the crown to his side, instead turning to fully face the Throne Room. "I am sure that many of you are shocked at what I have done," he said, his tone frigid and matter-of-fact. "You are asking yourselves: how could he have done this? How could he slay his own Father, and not even shed a tear?"

Akashi paused, his gaze slowly tracing the path from his Father to the crown that now rested in his hands. "The reason for your questions is simple: none of you have ever seen war."

Akashi looked back up, his eyes flashing with an inner fire no one had seen before. "None of you have stood upon the field of battle, the heat and swell of hundreds of bodies surrounding you on every side while the sound of metal upon metal pounds away in your ears. You have never stared down a full squadron of well-trained killers, and known in your heart that you were going to be the one to take their lives. You have never experienced the feeling of your blade sinking through an enemy's torso, nor listened to the unique sound that accompanies it, composed of both the sound of ripping flesh and their wail of agony. You have never had to wipe away their blood as it splashes across your face, nor watched the light fade from their eyes, knowing in your heart that it was you and you alone who are responsible for their death. You have never experienced the life-altering knowledge that if you do not fight, if you do not win; if you instead choose to compromise and cower before their blows; then you will die, as surely as a plant that does not compete with the weeds shall wither and perish."

Akashi flexed his free hand, observing the way the blood glimmered upon his gauntlet. Clenching his hand, Akashi raised his fist up, as if trying to grasp the edges of his vision. "In battle, you cannot allow anything to stand in your way. You either kill, or allow yourself to be killed. Our city…ourempire…our ENTIRE WAY OF LIFE, was built upon this fact! It was built upon the backs of conquerors, those who slew the Mountain King and drove the Wild Ones from our borders. It is what made us strong! It is what allowed us to grow, to prosper, to blossom into an Empire that stretched from this mountain all the way to Southern tip of Astra!" Akashi declared, raising his fist high into the air.

Everyone in the court held stock still, awed by Akashi's presence and words as his unbelievable aura began to leak off of his body. Akashi snarled, disgusted.

"Over the course of one thousand years, this truth has been lost to all of you. No one here knows what it feels like to take a life. My Father did once, but he had long forgotten it. To be an Emperor, you must not compromise, as he was so willing to do. You must instead embrace your conviction,embrace your desire to win, at any cost! Or else you shall sacrifice the very spark that gives you life, and surrender it to someone less worthy!"

Raising his arms, Akashi lifted the crown up with both hands, admiring how the light danced off of its myriad of facets and loops. It truly was a magnificent work of art, one worthy of his approval. Lowering his arms, Akashi allowed the crown to settle atop his head, his bright red locks providing a sharp contrast to the sky blue gems entrapped within the crown.

"As your Emperor, I will not stop! I will not rest! I will not falter, until this truth has been realized by all who fall under our banner! I shall strike down any and all who oppose me, regardless of who they may be!" Akashi shouted, his voice filling the hall and ensnaring all those who were listening. A chorus of approval soon began to escape from their mouths, as each word uttered by Akashi drew them further and further in.

"War is coming," Akashi said sharply, drawing shocked gazes from his audience, which was rapidly growing in size. "That is a fact. The lands to the south are broiling with discontent, the ashes of Teiko's collapse igniting new factions: upstarts who foolishly declare themselves Kings and Queens, with no concept of what these titles truly mean!"

Akashi swept his hand to the side, as if to sweep them all away, while his eyes danced with fiery conviction. "With our united strength, I shall rid this land of these pretenders! I shall destroy their castles, topple their walls! Burn their banners and break their swords! I shall create a land united under one banner: that of **Rakuzan! And I will forge a dynasty that will last FOREVER!** " he cried, and the throne room erupted with thunderous roars of approval, every single person present staring up at Akashi as if he were some God descended from the heavens.

With a wave of his hand, Akashi silenced the crowd, his eyes dancing with victory. "That is why I do not weep. That is why I do not mourn Masaomi's departure. That is why I ask of you, all of you:"

Akashi swept his arm to the side, throwing out his cape and raising his eyes to meet every single one of theirs.

 **"Kneel, and proclaim your loyalty unto me!"**

At this utterance, the room was suddenly filled with loud *THUMPS* as everyone, noble and soldier alike, fell to their knees and bent their heads, bowing before the Emperor.

 **"ALL HAIL AKASHI SEIJŪRŌ! HAIL THE EMPEROR OF THE SKY!"** they cried.

Akashi's smile finally broke out across his face, his eyes dancing in victory as he finally sat back onto the throne. "Herald from Kaijo!" he announced, causing one of those bowing to raise his head. "Yes, your Imperial Majesty?" he asked, averting his gaze from Akashi's form out of sheer reverence. Akashi smirked at this, not altogether surprised at the effect his words had on the man. "Return to your false king with word of what has transpired here. Tell him that I command that he come here, and pledge his fealty unto me," he commanded.

The herald nodded and bowed, before making his way hurriedly towards the door, bowing and scraping the whole way. Akashi smirked, for once satisfied with himself.

"You were wrong, Sensei," he whispered to himself, his eyes tilting upwards to stare at the open sky. "You were dead wrong."

* * *

Far to the South, on an old and winding road leading into a forest, a traveler froze as the back of his neck prickled. He let out a surpised yelp as a sneeze ripped through him, shaking his body vigorously. "Someone's talking about me," he mumbled, before drawing the hood of his cloak over his head as drops of rain began to fall, covering up his brilliant, snow white hair with the soft material.

* * *

 **Whew, that was a long session of writing. Would you believe me when I told you that when I started writing, there were only ~3,600 words. By the time I finished, this chapter was standing at a whopping ~10,350! I cannot believe I wrote almost 7,000 words in approximately five hours (counting interruptions).**

 **Haizaki was kind of easy to write, as was Akashi. The one that proved most difficult, however, was Kuroo, simply because I haven't read the Haikyuu manga and don't know enough about his character from the anime to properly emulate him. I hope I did him justice by the way, as well as little Kenma (the pudding head was easier to write). And I hope you like wizard!Kenma. That really seemed to be the only classification I could put him in, because he's just too physically weak to fill any other role (excepting of course Assassin, but I've already got that covered with Kuroko).**

 **Also, Akashi's speech was mostly unplanned, so I'm not sure how well it turned out. I tried to give an accurate representation of him within the frameworks of this story, so sorry if he comes off as a little too vicious.**

 **That being said, I want to get something out of the way right the fuck now: I am not even going to attempt to pair this Akashi (Bokushi) with Furihata. It simply won't work. Instead, Oreshi will get that honor. I'm doing this so as to avoid the inevitable accusation that I'm writing abuse. I'm not. Any violent actions Bokushi takes towards Kouki (and there will be some) are not meant to be romantic. They will be meant exactly how I write them, so when they do meet, do not jump on my back and please read closely first.**

 **As a side-not, Bokushi *will* have a small romance with Mayuzumi, simply because I love the pairing and have an incredibly intricate first encounter planned out. It will not take precedence over AkaFuri, and if you don't like it you can skip it. However, scenes of the two of them will be far and in between, so if you are a fan of the pairing, please treasure them.**

 **I strive to make everything I write as artistic and in depth as I can, and I hope that shows. So with that, I bid you a good day, and ask that you please leave a review (because I am ever a sucker for those!)**

 **With Love,**  
Arudon ^^

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 **V**


	7. A Stroll in the Forest

Mud sloshed about as a heavy boot splashed down on the wet trail, its owner pausing to sigh in displeasure as flecks of it splattered onto his trousers. The recent storms had left the forest paths completely waterlogged, making travel incredibly difficult. The traveler paid it no mind however, instead adjusting his dark brown cloak so it hugged his slender frame more tightly. The hood of the cloak shifted slightly, and the traveler reached up to draw it more closely to his head, concealing his face from the biting wind that rushed through the trees.

Standing at just a little over five and half feet tall and dressed in a dark leather jerkin and cloak, the traveler's figure was relatively unassuming, if a bit on the slim side. Several pouches hung from his belt, while a sack was slung across his back and a small satchel swayed off to the side, his provisions and supplies stored safely within. The exposed flesh of his right hand was wrapped tightly around a curiously shaped staff, the long and slender digits digging in to the supple wood.

The staff was five feet long, stopping just below its owner's chin, with the upper portion wrapped in cloth to provide an easy grip. It was uniformly smooth, but the bottom two feet tapered into a sharp curve ending with a blunted tip that dug into the loose dirt of the forest path.

The wood itself was colored an almost pale gold, and its surface was flawless, free of any blemishes that usually adorned a traveler's cane.

Another gust of wind blew past him as the wind shifted direction, bringing the traveler's steps to a halt as a curious stench wafted into his sensitive nostrils. Tilting his head back, he sniffed animalistically at the wind, as if scenting the air.

A low growl erupted from within his chest, and he glanced around warily, his entire form seeming to tense up. From beneath the cover of his hood his eyes narrowed in apprehension.

"You can come out," the traveler called. His voice was rough but clear, somehow managing to sound both harsh and youthful at the same time. His words echoed through the forest as if magically amplified, bouncing off the trees and rocks as the wind died down. A harsh, guttural rumble managed to sneak in at the end of his sentence. "I know you're there."

A rustling from the bushes surrounding him reached his ears, before a large group of men stepped out from the shrubbery, blocking his path and surrounding him in a loose half-ring. They let out chuckles and grins as they did so, their sneers spread across their faces.

Their appearances were rugged and intimidating: most of them seemed to be dressed in a mix of animal furs and leather, but all of them were uniformly scarred and dirty. One was missing a nose, another an ear, and he could count eleven missing fingers between the lot of them.

The price of thievery, no doubt.

The traveler gripped his staff tighter as the bandits' disgusting, potent stench hit him full on. Obviously none of them had bathed in over a year.

"Well, you're a crafty little feller," one of the men said. The traveler's gaze was drawn up to the man, who stood atop a boulder just a few feet off the path. Visibly larger than the rest of the ruffians, the man's slick black hair was pulled straight back into a ponytail, the rest of his head shaved bald in a manner reminiscent of the nomads to the north. A longsword hung from his back, the naked blade notched and slightly rusted from repeated use and improper care. Rippling muscles flexed beneath coarse chainmail, and from the way traveler had to tilt his head back, the man was easily over six and a half feet tall.

The traveler shifted as the other men finished encircling him, moving so that there was no obvious means of escape. From the way they all smirked as the first one spoke, it was clear that he was the leader.

"How'd you figure we were here?" the larger man asked in broken Astrian, his dark onyx eyes narrowing as stared down at the other.

The traveler let out a bark of laughter, a smirk of his own tracing his face. "The smell gave you away," he said dryly, causing the bandit's lips to draw up into a snarl.

"Cheeky," he growled, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I like that, but I'd suggest you keep your tongue from wagging, 'less you want my boys to cut it out."

The traveler remained silent as he stared up at the thug, his eyes still hidden by the deep hood of his travel cloak, and the man grunted in satisfaction. "Right. Now, this is a robbery, so hand over your valuables and you'll be free to go," he said dismissively.

The traveler sighed wearily, his expectations having been met, before shaking his head back and forth. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, gentlemen," he said, giving the bandits a small shrug and a half smile. "But I'm just a seasonal worker headed to Karasuno. I've got nothing on me except some potatoes and half a dead rabbit that was going to be my dinner tonight."

The lead bandit smirked, shaking his own head in response. "Now, see, I'd be inclined to believe that, if it weren't for the fact that it's the same story the last guy fed us. An' do you know what he had tucked away under his shirt when went to 'inspect' him?" He leaned forward and smiled, exposing his yellowed and rotting teeth. "A fucking sac of gold as big as my left testicle!" he spat, his eyes dancing with crude humor.

 _'Must have some pretty small balls,'_ the traveler thought dryly, but kept the sentiment to himself, not wishing to anger the thug further.

"So," he drawled, peering down his nose at the traveler. "Are you sure you don't have anything you want to tell us about?"

The traveler let out another sigh, lowering his gaze to the ground. The bandits all leaned forward, their expressions reminiscent to wolves that have scented blood.

The traveler's response, however, caught them all by surprise.

"Nope," he said, looking back up and fixing the lead bandit with a cheery grin. "I've got nothing. Like I said, I'm just a field-worker headed to Karasuno. Literally the most valuable thing I have is this staff, and most of that value is sentimental. Sorry to disappoint you!"

The head bandit's smirk widened until it was positively wolf-like in its intensity. "Are you sure~?" he asked in a sing-song voice, his lackeys' leers all turning positively lecherous.

When the traveler remained silent, the leader scoffed and gestured with his hands. "Alright then. I guess we'll just have to _'inspect'_ you too then, eh? BOYS!" he shouted.

The men surrounding the traveler all took a step forward, their assortment of crude weapons gripped tightly in hand, but they froze as the traveler let out a frozen chuckle, his laugh lacking any and all warmth.

"You're welcome to try," he chuckled, but all traces of humor were now gone from his voice. Instead, it was replaced by a curious sort of pressure that seemed to waft off the traveler, forcing them to all back off slightly. "But I wouldn't recommend it. I don't think the merchants would appreciate me adding more water to the path."

One of the bandits cocked his head to the side. "What?" he grunted in confusion.

The traveler shot him a sidelong glance. "Oh? Don't you know? A man's body is almost completely filled with water! It all comes gushing out once we poke holes in it. Didn't you pay attention the last time you gutted someone?"

The bandit leader shook his head, an amused smile spreading across his face. "HAH!" he barked, leaping down from the boulder and stalking towards the traveler, his hand resting easily on the axe handle he had tucked in his belt. "And how do you plan on going about that, eh?"

His eyes flicked to the smaller man's bare waist, flashing maliciously. "Gonna stab me with your _sword?_ "

The traveler tilted his head up, allowing the bandit a small peek beneath the hood. The bandit froze, surprise and shock instantly etching across his face. "No," the traveler said, tossing his staff to the side and flexing his hands in preparation. "Yours will do just fine."

The bandit's onyx eyes widened, and he backed away hastily, his mouth flapping open in shock. "Kill him!" he yelled gesturing to his lackeys. "Kill him now!"

Responding to their leader's command, the bandits lunged towards the cloaked figure, their weapons raised high to strike.

Armed with a crudely shaped knife that might have once been part of a farming tool, one of the bandits raised his weapon into the air, intending to strike down on the traveler's neck.

Reaching out, the traveler grabbed onto that hand and snapped it to the side, eliciting a sharp *CRACK* from the bandit's shoulder bone as it snapped in two.

The bandit's scream of agony echoed through the trees as he collapsed to the forest floor, gyrating violently in pain. The traveler rolled his shoulder, moaning in relief as his stiff muscles popped and flexed before stomping down on the man's chest, eliciting a sickening *CRUNCH*

The bandit's screams stopped.

The rest of them froze, staring at the traveler in alarm. He looked up from the ground, his face still hidden in shadow by the hood of his cloak. Their weapons began to shake in their hands as he regarded them coldly. "Well? You heard your boss." He said, his voice low and cold.

"Kill me."

A beat passed, before the nearest bandit let out a scream of terror and lunged at him.

"HRAAAAAAAAA!" He swung his axe at the traveler's head, fear painted across his face. He blinked in shock as the next moment, the traveler just wasn't there.

He reappeared several feet away, the beginnings of a smile lifting the corners of his mouth.

The bandit shook his head in disbelief. Who… no, _what_ was this… thing? Nothing could move that fast!

The man raised the axe again, only to blink as it suddenly disappeared from his hand.

"Wha…-"

*SHLUNK*

The man's headless form crumpled to the ground, his head rolling away.

The axe went spinning through the air, splitting a man's forehead with the sickening sound of a skull breaking.

…

From that point on, it was a slaughter. There were almost ten bandits still standing after their initial failed assault, but numbers didn't matter in the slightest. The traveler weaved in between their ranks with the precision of a dancer, his form now little more than a blur.

A bandit lunged at him just in time to receive a sword to the face. His knife was then snatched from its scabbard on his waist as he fell, the keen edge slicing through the soft exposed jugular of his friend behind him.

The knife then went spinning through the air, just to skewer a fleeing bandit through the back of the neck, felling him instantly.

On and on it continued, their shrieks filling the air as the blades continue to fall relentlessly. In less than a minute, it was all over. The last body fell to the ground as the traveler released his throat, the man's neck twisted at a gruesomely unnatural angle.

A hauntingly grotesque smile was splayed across the traveler's face, his oddly sharp teeth glistening white in the dull glow of the cloudy day.

The bandit leader took a step back, eyeing the veritable pile of corpses surrounding the traveler as the predator stalked towards him, his hands dripping with blood.

He grit his teeth. He'd seen how fast this guy could move; there was no way he could run! No, he'd have to fight! Damn him! Damn him and his stupid smug grin!

The traveler watched impassively as the bandit leader's expression morphed slowly from fear to anger. Good. He was the stupid type.

He could handle stupid.

"Stay back!" the bandit leader practically screamed, reaching up and drawing his longsword, the notched and rusted blade glinting dully in the broken sunlight. "I'll kill you! I mean it! STAY BACK!"

The traveler smirked. Well, it was certainly nice to see that all the bravado had evaporated from the man. Now that it was gone, he could almost be called halfway decent.

A chuckle escaped the traveler. "Heh. And how do you plan to go about doing that, eh?" he asked, tilting his head to the side mockingly. "Gonna stab me with your sword?"

The bandit's eyes widened in fury. "YAAAAAAARRRRRHH!" he screamed, swinging the sword in a frantic downward arch, aiming for the traveler's head.

He never stood a chance. Before he even had time to react, the traveler had once again vanished, reappearing inside his guard. The bandit shrieked at the unexpected pain of a knife stabbing at his fingers, and he reflexively dropped the sword and backed away, falling flat on his ass and cradling his wounded hand to his chest.

The heavy blade sank into the dirt, before the traveler bent down and picked it up.

Looking back up, the bandit leader had just enough time to gasp in shock, his eyes reflecting the traveler's gleeful smile as he loomed over him.

*SWOOSH*

Down came the sword, cleaving through the leather barding strapped to the bandit's front and hewing through blood and sinew, puncturing his lungs and cleaving him almost in half. He had just enough air to let out a gargled "H…How~" before collapsing back into the mud. Blood began to gurgle past his lips as it built up in his throat, staining the ground beneath him a sickly maroon.

The traveler loosened his grip, letting the sword fall to earth. "Like I said: yours will do just fine," he chuckled, eyeing the dead man with… mild dissapointment.

Turning about, the traveler began to stalk back over to his discarded belongings, stooping down to pick up his staff. With exceeding care, he took the end of his cloak and wiped the mud and dirt off the golden flawless wood, mumbling apologies beneath his breath as if it were a living being.

However, an ominous gurgle emanating from the downed bandit leader's corpse forced him to pause and glance back.

He jerked in surprise at what he saw.

Dark black lines were tracing up the side of the corpse's neck, following the veins that pulsed just beneath the skin and forcing them to bulge out like worms. Thick, black ooze began to seep out of the long slash on the bandit's chest, clotting the blood flow and sealing up the wound.

The corpse's eyelids snapped open, the once dark brown eyes now completely colored black, with not a hint of the white sclera left. Saliva began to leak from the corpse's open mouth, while its teeth sharpened to canine-like points.

…

The traveler watched numbly as the corpse picked itself up off the forest floor, its movements jerky and completely unnatural. Its muscles bulged out of its skin as more black veins spiderwebbed up and down its body, doubling its size and power until it finally stood at ten feet tall, easily dwarfing the traveler.

Picking up the staff, the traveler turned to fully face the behemoth, his gaze seeping over the bulging muscles and burning black eyes. "I thought as much," he said quietly, before flipping the staff end over end until it rested evenly in both hands.

Gripping the curved portion of the staff, he pressed his thumb against a small rune carved into the wood, which instantly began to glow a brilliant white. Rapidly, a seam began to form, running a full circle around the shaft. Once it was completed, the traveler gripped the curved wood tightly, and in a single, smooth motion, pulled it away, as if unsheathing a blade.

An apt description, for that was exactly what he was doing.

As the wood slid away, a gorgeous, four-foot-long, single edged curved blade was revealed, completely covered in runes of all manner. The pale-silver metal flashed beautifully in the sunlight, practically radiating power as the traveler cast the wooden sheath aside, his gaze piercing out from beneath the hood.

The creature took a step back, its black eyes narrowing into a snarl. Lifting its lip, it snarled and batted a clawed hand at the air, as if to ward off the energy of the blade.

A feral grin flashed across the traveler's face as he dropped the sheath to the ground. "That's right," he murmured, taking a step forward and rolling the blade expertly in his hand, as if it were an extension of his arm. He smiled as the metallic hum of the blade reached his ears, its deadly edge cutting even the air apart. "You recognize this, don't you?"

Halting the spin, the traveler pointed the sword tip at the monster's head, right in between its eyes. "A spirit weapon," he said quietly. "It ignores most weapons and armor, and attacks the flesh and soul of the target directly. A normal weapon would bounce off that scaly hide of yours, but this…."

The monster only form of reply was to growl, its eyes widening almost in comprehension, revealing more of the black sclera that wrapped around its pupil. The traveler sighed and shook his head. "Seriously," he mumbled to himself. "Why am I even bothering talking to you. I'd get better conversation with a wall." He sighed, before turning and staring at the monster. "Honestly, you're making me feel depressed."

They both remained motionless for a few moments, staring at each other. The light rain falling from the sky was the only sound that could be heard. The monster remained stock still, its eyes taking in the entire form of the traveler and his shining sword. The traveler in turn stared up at the creature, a look of resignation on his face.

…

A twig cracked. Maybe by a squirrel had knocked it from a tree, or maybe it had just fallen on its own. Either way, it didn't matter. The silence had been broken.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The monster lunged forward, its powerful leg muscles flexing and pulsing sickeningly, the swollen vessels using all their strength to push off the ground and hurl the behemoth at the other. The traveler's form seemed to blur, and before the monster could process it he was gone. The creature slammed into the ground with all the force of an avalanche, splashing mud and turf all over itself and the surrounding trees.

The traveler landed on his feet and looked up, scrutinizing the monster's form. He gripped the handle of his sword tighter, the blade pulsing in sync with his heart. The monster in turn seemed to pause as well, looking around in confusion, trying to locate him. A deep snuffling could be heard as it scented the air, before it finally swiveled its head and locked its burning black eyes on his form.

The traveler frowned as it turned to face him again. Its vision appeared to be somewhat lacking in this state, which meant that it had to be relying more heavily on its other senses.

A grin began to make itself known on his face. Relying on certain senses led to other areas becoming huge blind spots, which meant that if exploited properly, it could be tricked.

And with that final thought, the traveler sprang forward, his body a blur of motion. He stayed low to the ground, charging forward like a viper moving in for the kill. The monster blinked in surprise as he seemed to vanish once again, before letting out a bark of alarm and taking a step back when he reappeared not but a few paces from him.

And that was exactly what he had been hoping for.

Pausing for just the barest of seconds, the traveler drew himself up and launched his blade at the creature's left shoulder blade first. The demon, as expected, jerked to the right to dodge, its stance widening even further.

What it hadn't expected was for the traveler to _let go_ of the sword. He hadn't stabbed at the creature; he had thrown it.

The traveler was already in motion, once again ducking down before actually rolling in between the creature's legs, completely disappearing from its field of view. Leaping up, he uncoiled his form like a piston and leapt into the air behind the creature, snagging the shimmering weapon out of the air and swinging it down toward its neck.

The maneuver was blisteringly fast and almost beyond human comprehension. But it was not beyond the demon's. A series of popping sounds rang out as the beast snapped its head to the side, the vertebrae almost certainly broken by its speed. Its mouth unhinged sickeningly, revealing twin rows of shark-like teeth, and with unbelievable strength it bit down on the incoming blade, halting its momentum completely.

The traveler blinked in genuine surprise as he was jerked forward, not expecting the creature to both keep up with him nor have the wherewithal to retaliate so effectively. Tightening his grip, the traveler swung himself about and planted a harsh double kick into the undead creature's face, making it jolt in surprise and thus release him.

As he leaped backwards, the blade managed to hack through something on the creature's head. Landing easily on his feet, he looked back up to see if he'd done any damage.

The creature was glaring at him murderously, drool and blood dripping down its now disfigured face. Its lower jaw was hanging by just a few strands of skin, the keen edge of his blade having sliced through the rest of it. A low growl began to emanate from its throat as it reached up and grabbed the edge of its jaw, before tearing it off completely in a vicious jerk. It's tongue now hung gruesomely out of its gaping maw, discolored and covered in saliva, while black ooze and blood began to pour like a waterfall around it.

An unnatural gurgling growl emanated from the back of its throat, and the traveler took a cautious step backwards.

The creature flexed its arm muscles, sending black ooze seeping out of the pours of its ski. The substance slid down its fingers to harden into sharp claws. Similar black ooze also began to leak from its wounded face, constructing a monstrous, dog-like lower jaw that did not mesh at all with the rest of its human countenance.

The traveler frowned. This was new.

Letting out a demonic bellow, the zombie sprang forward again, this time even faster than before. The traveler attempted to evade, but was instead tugged backwards as a clawed hand managed to snag the back of his cloak. A choked yelp escaped his lips as the chord of the cloak momentarily choked him, before he was violently flung through the air, corkscrewing uncontrollably. His sword went flying out of his hand, spiraling away from him as he lost his grip on it.

The sound of splintering bark and crunching wood rang out as his back collided with the trunk of a dead tree, the force of his impact almost breaking the tree in half. He hung there for a second, before slowly rolling out and crashing to the ground. Groaning in pain, he slowly rose to his hands and knees, his head reeling for a few seconds. A whistling sound reached his ears, and he instinctively rolled forwards and out of the path of the incoming blow. The sound of crackling bark and the smell of sawdust filled the air as the creature's fist smashed straight through the trunk of the tree, toppling it to the ground with ease.

The creature's black eyes were blazing with a perverse sort of glee, and somewhere in the back of its twisted, perverted mind, some trace of the human that it had once been before was cackling maniacally.

The traveler retreated quickly, his form blurring with his speed as he attempted to put some distance between himself and the wild demon. His legs quickly took him up an incline, physically separating him from danger.

The creature paused, cocking its head to the side in confusion while it flashed a slack jawed grin at him, the mismatched set of teeth providing a nightmarish sight.

The traveler panted as he too halted, his hand bringing the tattered remains of his cloak up to his eyes for inspection. He clicked his tongue in displeasure as he felt the long slash marks on the fabric, the garment utterly ruined. "Damn it. And this was a gift from Haru!" he grumbled, before clenching the cloth in his fist and yanking it away from his body, the sound of tearing fabric echoing out across the forest.

The traveler let out a calming sigh as the last strands of the cloak left his body, finally revealing the rest of his form.

Just as one might have guessed, the traveler was slim but stout, his small form rippling with steel-like muscles. He was far from bulky, his muscles simply weren't built like that. Instead, they were corded tightly beneath the surface of his skin, storing enough energy to allow him to keep going for days on end without rest. His arms were bare, revealing pale, smooth skin crisscrossed by scars, reminders of battles fought and won long ago. Small white hairs stood on end, the sensitive skin bristling in reaction to the breezy air of the forest.

However, his most startling feature was the beautiful snow-white hair that rested atop his head, the unruly strands fluttering in the wind and matted down in places with dirt and sweat. The color was the same as the type of snow you would find at the peak of a mountain, and glistened in the rays of the sun.

His left eye gazed out from his face with startling intensity, the silvery white iris almost indistinguishable from the sclera except for a pitch-black line running around the border. A single, dark pupil stared out from the center, shocking in its intensity and flashing with a keen intelligence.

As for the right eye….

It was covered by an eyepatch tied to his head with a piece of finely threaded twine. A wire thin scar ran vertically across the socket, tracing the path that King Hayama's dagger had taken when he had plunged it in all those years ago.

Tilting his head to the side, Akihiro, the White Wolf, the Legend of old, let out a satisfied sigh as he felt his neck pop. He released the tattered remains of the cloak from his fist, letting it drift away with the wind. His single white eye flicked between the monster and his sword, which he spied laying embedded in the ground just behind the creature. A bark of laughter escaped his lips as he stared down at the creature who'd dared to throw him into a tree.

"Okay," he chuckled, his leg muscles going taught. "Round two. _"_

The monster bellowed as he lunged forward, his form rippling with energy and power. The zombie swiped at him, but wolf was already gone, sailing over its ten-foot form with ease.

Akihiro spun lazily about in the air, snatching the blade from the ground and bringing it around in a strike as he landed in one smooth motion. The monster shrieked as the blessed blade hacked through its muscle and sinew, scalding its demonic presence.

Without pausing for a second, Akihiro spun about, dodging nimbly across the body of the demon as it again tried to bat at him with its sharpened claws. The blade was already flashing, however, hewing through even more of the creature's flesh. The demon began to shriek as the holy sword stung its body again and again, hacking chunks of flesh off with every pass Akihiro made. No matter how fast it moved, the wolf always seemed to be one step ahead of it, the legendary beast's single white eye burning with satisfaction with every cut he made.

Swinging the blade, Akihiro sliced off the last bit of bone and sinew holding the creature's legs together, and with a pained cry the monster fell to its knees. It turned to swipe at him, only to find that with another slash of that damnable sword, it no longer had hands with which to strike.

The wolf smirked, feeling the end of their encounter drawing near. "Well, I guess that's all the entertainment you can give me," he said, his words laced with disappointment. "Too bad. I'd figured a big guy like you could have managed to keep going, but I suppose I shouldn't have expected much from a host body that weak."

The creature slumped forward, now lacking the strength to even support itself. Akihiro looked down upon it, all the excitement now gone from his eye. "Seeing you like this, it almost makes me feel pity for you."

He tilted his head in thought, before smiling mockingly. "Naaaaaahhh..."

Reaching down, he grabbed the monster's head and pulled it back, forcing it to bend at an unnatural angle. "You ripped my cloak you bastard," he whispered in its ear. "And I _liked_ that cloak. It kept my ugly mug nice and hidden."

He swung his sword forward, embedding it through the demon's chest and skewering its heart. The demon shrieked as the shining silver blade broke through the skin, an explosion of dark-red blood and black ooze exploding out, showering the forest with the creature's foul smelling innards. The demon fell still in Akihiro's grasp. "Honestly, do you have any idea how hard it's gonna be for me to find a cloak that can cover both my hair _and_ my eye? Seriously, you have no sympathy from me."

He pulled his sword free from its chest, the runes lining the blade of the sword glowing white with power, purging its surface of the demon's taint. Steam wafted from the blade as the blood was forcefully evaporated, eradicating even its acrid stench. He was about to let go of the monster's head when suddenly its glossy, jet black hair came alive suddenly and lashed out at him, wrapping around his wrist and holding him in place.

The monster spun about, its mouth open wide in a roar as it lunged forward, looking to sink its teeth into his throat. Akihiro's single eye widened in shock, before a look of pure rage spread across his face. A feral snarl escaped his lips, his own sharped teeth bared.

*SLICK*

His sword flashed out, separating the head from the body.

*SNICK*

The sword flashed again, slicing through the tendril-like hair and sending the head flying upwards.

*CRUNCH* *SNAP* *GLICK*

The holy blade flashed one last time, splitting the head right down the middle and sending an explosion of black ooze and brain matter everywhere. Akihiro leapt back, barely managing to avoid the spray.

With a final solid thump, the creature's body at last fell to the forest floor, its blood pooling everywhere. A wind began to pick up, and the body began to disintegrate, parts of it flaking off and flying away as a stream of putrid gray smoke. Akihiro watched it go with an oddly satisfied smile crawling onto his face.

That last attack hadn't been that bad! "Hah!" he laughed. "GOOD ONE!" A tirade of laughter began to spill from his lips, before finally a long, protracted howl escaped from his lips, a haunting call of ancient power that had not been heard since long before men had first crawled out of their caves.

…

As the cry faded from his lips, Akihiro let out a sigh and sagged where he stood, allowing the familiar sense of post battle exhaustion to sweep over him. Looking around, he spied where the road was and slowly made his way back over to his pack, picking up his blade's sheath as he did so. Pausing before his pack, he glanced down at large group of dead bandits, before rolling his eyes in annoyance as a small part of his conscience began to nag at him.

Letting out a another sigh, he strode over to their bodies and began to drag them to the side of the road, opening up the dirt path to make them easier to collect when a patrol inevitably found them.

After sliding the seal back onto the blade of his sword/staff, the wolf glanced around the woods one last time, his eye flicking back and forth warily. An eerie chill seemed to wash over him, as if something less than friendly was still watching him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, but his senses could detect nothing. After lingering for a few more minutes, he shook his head in agitation, before turning and resuming his walk down the path, his pack slung across and humming a quiet tune to himself.

The forest seemed to ripple and shift, the shadows lengthening ever so slightly and sinisterly. A gust of wind rushed through the branches, making them creak and shake as if a thousand skeletal hands were shaking in rage. As the last of the monster's form finally finished dissolving, it's blood began to seep into the ground, as if being absorbed by the earth itself.

 _'This is not over, wolf.'_

 ** _Journal Entry #294_**

 _12_ _th_ _of Eventide_ _\- Encountered another one of those creatures today. That would make this the seventh one this month, a startling number to say the least._

 _This one had similar properties to the others: black eyes, black veins, and almost inhuman abilities. It had also gathered a small group of humans around it, and seemed to be using them to further its power and corruption. Still unsure if the human is simply acting as a host, or if the darkness is actually masquerading as a human. However, like all the others, it only revealed itself after its human host was supposedly 'killed.'_

 _The attacks seemed to have increased in intensity the closer I get to Karasuno, which I can only assume means I am approaching their source. I heard rumors a couple towns back of a place called 'Dewers Hollow' that was supposed to be a hotspot for supernatural activity. Estimates put it at between a day's and half a day's walk from Karasuno's outer wall, so I will be sure to investigate._

 _I must state for the record that this creature appeared to be far more advanced than the previous ones I have encountered, so I think it might be a good idea to recount everything that I know about them:_

 _One: Every creature I have encountered has leaked a sort of black ooze. I have not an inkling as to what this substance is composed of, but contact with the blade of my sword causes it to burn and evaporate, so I can only assume it is some variant of a demonic taint._

 _Two: Another defining feature is their size. As soon as the black ooze begins to pump through their system, they have an almost immediate increase in physical stature, usually accompanied by supernatural speed, strength, and reflexes. This leads me to believe that the substance is some form of hyper conductive steroid, designed to empower the host beyond its natural limitations._

 _Thirdly they all seem to possess an irrational anger. I can only assume this is motivated by whatever demon or infection is driving them, and seems to be a side effect of the corruption. However, this does not diminish their intelligence, but instead merely… alters it. They become like cunning animals, learning and adapting at an uncanny rate, but totally immune to any rationalization or form of communication._

 _Fourth is their heightened pain threshold. No matter how grievous an injury, the creatures seem to shrug it off as one would an insect bite, instead continuing to focus on the battle. In the attack today, the creature actually seemed to regenerate from its wounds, regrowing its lower jaw into what appeared to be a dog's jaw. Normal weapons cannot affect them, but instead must be charged with energies derived from the mystical arts, divine inspiration, or both, in the case of my sword._

 _Of lesser note, their senses have always been altered. Before, all five had merely been lowered slightly, but now it seems as if they are taking most of the energy needed for one and devoting it to the rest, as if in an effort to catch their opponents off guard with unusual tactics. That being said, I can definitely say that they show a significant increase in sophistication from the simple animals we encountered in Iwatobe._

 _This is both unexpected and concerning, considering the shattered and unstable state of Astra (which I am still VERY pissed off about!) and I can only hope to find the root of the problem soon._

 _One thing can be certain though: Ogiwara was right. They're spreading._

 _I can only hope that he and Nijimura are faring well, and part of me wishes that I were still in their company. However, another, even larger part is elated to be back in Astra. I can feel the magic of this place rushing through my veins, igniting my senses and sending my old instincts singing. It was nice to see the mountains again, too, especially after years of nothing but tropical islands and never-ending waves and boats. Oh, my stomach just lurched there. Best not to think about boats again._

 _(On a lesser note, you'd think that I'd have learned how to swim after living on a boat in a seemingly endless ocean, but noooo, I'm still utterly useless in the water! I STILL have nightmares about that damn Kraken.)_

 _I should reach Karasuno by the end of the week. Hopefully the Great Library there will provide me with some of the answers I seek. And I will definitely be researching Ogiwara's theory: if there is a pattern, Karasuno is surely the place to find it._

 _End Journal Entry,  
-Akihiro_


End file.
